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CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadien  institute  for  Historicai  IVIicroreproductions  institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 

1980 


Technical  Notes  /  Notes  techniques 


The  Institute  has  attempted  to  ohiain  the  best 
original  copy  available  for  filming.  Physical 
features  of  this  copy  which  may  alter  any  of  the 
images  in  the  reproduction  are  checked  below. 


IZl 


Coloured  covers/ 
Couvertures  de  couleur 


L'Institut  a  microfilmd  le  meilleur  exemplaire 
qu'il  lui  a  6t6  possible  de  se  procurer.  Certains 
ddf&uts  susceptibles  de  nuire  d  la  quality  de  la 
reproduction  sont  not6s  ci-dessous. 


D 


Coloured  pages/ 
Pages  de  couleur 


D 


Coloured  maps/ 

Cartes  gdographiques  en  couleur 


D 


Coloured  plates/ 
Planches  en  couleur 


D 

n 


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de  la  distortion  le  long  de  la  marge 
int^rieure) 


y 


□ 


'ihow  through/ 
Transparence 


Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommagdes 


n 


Additional  comments/ 
Commentaires  suppl^mentaires 


Bibliographic  Notes  /  Notes  bibliographiques 


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D 
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Seule  Edition  disponible 


Bound  with  other  material/ 
Relid  avec  d'autres  documents 


Cover  title  missing/ 

Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 


D 
D 

n 


Pagination  incorrect/ 
Erreurs  de  pagination 


Pages  missing/ 
Des  pages  manquent 


Maps  missing/ 

Des  cartes  gdographiques  manquent 


D 


Plates  missing/ 

Des  planches  manquent 


D 


Additional  comments/ 
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The  images  appearing  here  are  the  best  quality 
possible  considering  the  condition  and  legibility 
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The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche  shall 
contain  the  symbol  — »►  (meaning  CONTINUED"), 
or  the  symbol  V  (meaning  "END"),  whichever 
applies. 

The  original  copy  was  borrowed  from,  and 
filmed  with,  the  kind  consent  of  the  following 
institution: 

Library  of  the  Public 
Archives  of  Canada 

Maps  or  plates  too  large  to  be  entirely  inclured 
in  one  exposure  are  filmed  beginning  in  the 
upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to  right  and  top  to 
bottom,  as  many  frames  as  required.  The 
following  diagrams  illustrate  the  method: 


Les  images  suivantes  ont  6td  reproduites  avec  le 
plus  grand  soin,  compte  tenu  de  la  condition  et 
de  la  nettetd  de  I'exemplaire  filmd,  et  en 
conformity  avec  les  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmage. 

Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaftra  sur  la  der- 
nidre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le  cas: 
le  symbole  — ►  signifie  "A  SUIVRE ',  le  symbole 
V  signifie  "FIN". 

L'exempiaire  film6  fut  reproduit  grdce  d  la 
g6n6rosit6  de  I'dtablissement  prdteur 
suivant  : 

La  bibliothdque  des  Archives 

publiques  du  Canada 

Les  cartes  ou  les  planches  trop  grandes  pour  dtre 
reproduites  en  un  seul  clichd  sont  filmdes  d 
partir  de  Tangle  supdrieure  gauche,  de  gauche  d 
droite  et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  n^cessaire.  Le  diagramme  suivant 
illustre  la  mdthode  : 


1 

2 

3 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

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r^ISTOI^IGALi  AND   DSSGI^IPTIYB. 


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i 


FORT  MEIGS. 


R  CONDENSED  HISTORY 


-OF  THK- 


IVTost  Importaot  Militaiy  Point  in 
the  Northwest, 


-TOGETHER  WITH- 


Scenes  and  Incidents  connected  with  the  Sieges  of  1813, 


-AND- 


A  Minute  Desciiption  of  the  Old   Fort  and  its  Surroundings, 

as  they  now  Appear. 


JAMES    P.    AVERTLL. 


I 


TOLEDO,  OHIO: 

BLADE  PRINTING    AND  PAPER  CO. 

1886. 


U 


BIRD'S-EYE  VIEW  OF   FT.    MEKiS,   FUOM  THE  NORTH. 


THE    MAUIVLKK    RIVER. 


^IIE    Maomee    River    (or 
?^'  "Miami    of   the   Lake,'' 
as  it   was  called  during 
the  war  of  1812),  was  known 
by  the  Wvandotte   Indians  as 
"  Cagh-a-ren-dii-te,"  or  "  Stand- 
in  j^:  Rock  river,"  named   from 
dt  ot'"^-    ^"   >  v*.^. , .  «in  elevated  rock  located  in  the 

'-^n^ti.jf.Ny.^.  ' — '  middle  of  the  stream,  about  a 

upTitf:  vAu.Ev  i-iioM  .iiEKoitr.  HATTLE-KiKLij    milc  abovc   tlic    Drcscnt  town 

OF  FALLEN  TIMHKK!'  IN  Tin;  niSTANCi;.  ii       i        i 

or  AVaterville,  called  by  the 
French,  "  Roch  de  Boeuf."  The  Shawanoese  (pronounced  Sha- 
wa-no)  named  the  stream  the  "  Ot-ta-wa-sepe,"  or  Ottawa  river. 
The  Ottawas  had  several  towns  on  the  river  as  late  as  1812,  on 
the  rapids  above  Ft.  Meigs,  and  also  along  Maumee  Bay  and 
the  lake  shore.  The  name  "  Maumee  "  is  claimed  by  some  writers 
to  be  a  corruption  of  that  given  it  by  the  French  in  the  seven- 
teenth centur}"  —  "Au  Miami;"  it  is  authentically  stated,  how- 
ever, that  for  centuries  prior  to  this  the  beautiful  stream  had 
been  known  by  the  Indians  who  had  retained  possession  of  it 
despite  the  efforts  of  contending  tribes,  as  "  Mau-mee" — "  Mother 
of  Waters."  It  is  a  well-known  fact  that  the  Indians  who 
lingered  here  to  the  last,  loth  to  depart,  fondly  spoke  of  it  as  the 
*'  Maumee,"  the  appropriate  name  which  it  will  always  hereafter 
retain.  It  is  formed  by  a  junction  of  the  St.  Joseph  and  St. 
Marys  rivers  at  Ft.  Wayne,  Ind.,  runs  in  a  northeasterly  direc- 
tion and  empties  into  Lake  Erie;  its  principal  branch  is  the 
Auglaize,  which  joins  it  at  Defiance.  It  is  navigable  for  large 
boats  as  far  as  Ft.  Meigs,  immediately  above  the  town  of  Per- 
rysburg,  on  the  right  bank,  and  from  this  point,  for  many  miles 
above,  the  stream  is  a  succession  of  rapids,  and  its  bed  limestone 
rock. 


t 


hmk^m&^'^^, 


ACROSS  THK  RIVKK  FROM  THE  KORT,  WHKRK  THE  MAIN  BRITISH  HATTERIES 

WERE  PLANTED. 


..eiii!!iglfflilH!!!i!!«!lii!i|l!iilgiE!i!!;iSl3|K.ra^^^ 


...!ll4- 


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;:iiii!H!i;!;|iiiiii-!i|;j|!J,((..i:i!iiJiJijjjii::. 


v^v .,; 

;  ■     -c-^<v 

■if 

ACROSS  THE   FORT  AND  DOWN   THE  VALLEY,   FROM   THE  Vt  EST  ANGLE. 


INTRODUCTORV. 


MILITAUY    STATIONS    IN   THE    MALMEE    VALLEY. 


J^I^ITERE  is  no  region  throughout  the  counti  v  more  replete 
rJit^  with  scenes  of  great  historic  interest  (from  the  early  date 
of  the  Frencli  and  Indian  wars  to  the  war  of  1812)  than 
the  Maumee  Valley,  and  the  most  important  and  interesting  of 
them  come  within  the  vision  of  one  standing  upon  the  breezy 
heights  of  old  Ft.  Meigs.  The  most  prominent  points,  in  chro- 
nological order,  are  the  following: 

1st.  Ft.  Mia:mi,  fifteen  miles  from  the  mouth  of  the  river, 
on  the  north  or  left  bank.  Established  in  1(580,  by  an  expedition 
sent  there  by  F><)ntenac,  Governor  of  Canada,  it  was  a  militarv 
and  trading  post  and  was  soon  abandoned.  By  order  of  Glencoe, 
the  Canadian  Governor,  it  was  re-occupied  in  1785  as  a  military 
post,  and  was  so  occupied  when  Gen.  Anthony  Wayne  de- 
feated the  Indian  nations,  at  the  battle  of  '' Fallen  Timbers," 
August  20,  1794.  In  1705  it  was  again  abandoned,  [)ursuant  to 
treaty  provisions  between  Great  Britain  and  the  United  States. 
Again  it  was  occupied  by  British  soldiers  under  General  Proctor 
during  the  sietje  of  Ft.  Meigs,  in  1813.  The  outlines  of  some 
of  its  old  bastions  and  embankments  are  still  plainly  defined. 

2d.  Ft.  Defiance.  November  4,  1791,  Gen.  St.  Clair, 
at  the  head  of  2,000  regulars,  had  suffered  a  crushing  defeat  at 
the  hands  of  the  Indians  at  Gi'eenville,  Darke  county,  and  soon 
afterward  Gen.  Anthon}'  Wayne  was  placed  in  command  of 
the  Western  army.  Gen.  Wayne  built  F^t.  Greenville  in 
December,  1793,  and  organized  an  army  of  3,000  troops,  among 
whom  were  1,600  mounted  Kentuckians  under  Gen.  Scott. 
Late  in  July,  1794,  with  this  army  he  commenced  his  march  to 
the  Miami  of  the  Lakes  (Maumee);  August  8  they  arrived  at  the 
confluence  of  the  Miami  of  the  Lakes  and  the  Auglaize,  where 


I 


6 


If'HTORICAL    SkKTCII    OK    Ft.    MkKIS. 


thoy  found  a  lii^lily  cultivated  country,  with  aj)j)lo  and  poach 
orcliards — evidences  of  tlu^  industry  of  the  French  and  sonu;  of 
tho  most  civilized  Indian  trihes.  W' ro,  with  j^n-eat  nipidity  and 
fine  military  (sn^nrjeerin*;,  a  stront^-  fort  was  huilt  and  appiopri- 
ately  named  Ft.  Delhuue,  the  remains  of  which  are  still  to  bo 
seen. 

.'{d.  Fai.lkn  Timhkks.  Au<(ust  !<!,  17'.>4,  Gen.  Wayne, 
leavin^r  a,  sullicient  force  at  Ft.  Dedancc?,  moved  down  the  loft 
hank  of  tli(;  riv(!r  ;  on  tlie  iSth  a  small  fortilication  for  tlu^  deposit 
of  military  stores  was  er(!(!ted  at  lioch  de  I'oeuf,  a  mih;  above  the 
present  village  of  Waterville,  and  nanu>d  Ft.  Deposit.  Five 
miles  below  this  point,  on  the  jnoinin<;'  of  the  2()th,  (Ion. 
Wayne's  trooj)s  encountered  the  allied  Indian  forces  commanded 
by  the  youn^^  and  intrejtid  chief,  TurUey  Foot;  the  conflict, 
short,  sharj)  and  decisive,  terminated  in  the  overwhelmin*^  defeat 
of  the  Indians.  It  Js  known  as  the  ''  Battle  of  Fallen  Timbers," 
and  was  one  of  the  most  important  in  its  results  that  had  ever 
been  fought  with  the  Indian  trib(!S,  for  it  ended  in  a  final  treaty 
of  peace  at  Greenville,  and  concluded  tin;  persecutions  of  the 
pioneer  settlers.  This  was  chosen  by  Turkey  Foot  as  his  battle- 
ground, because  a  hurricane  had  windrowed  the  forest  trees, 
making  an  almost  insurmountable  obstruction  to  Wayne's 
mounted  troops  and  a  natural  fortilication  for  the  Indians. 
Wayne,  however,  came  upon  tliem  like  the  winds  that  had  laid 
low  the  giants  of  the  forest,  his  sohliers  partaking  of  his  own 
irresistible  courage  and  lighting  ((ualities;  "Mad  Antliony,"  by 
reason  of  this,  was  afterward  known  among  the  various  Indian 
tribes  as  "Che-no-tin  " — translated,  "the  Whirlwind."  Near  the 
base  of  Pres([ue  Isle  Hill  (an  abrupt  and  narrow  point  of  land, 
which  extends  like  a  promontory  toward  the  river,  and  which 
was  also  a  portion  of  the  battle  ground)  and  a  fcw^  yards  distant 
from  the  water,  is  an  immense  bowlder,  afterward  carved  by  the 
Indians  with  representations  of  turkeys'  feet,  in  memory  of  their 
belo  "d  chieftain  who  fell  there  during  the  conflict.  Thus  we 
are  ii.>lel)ttd  to  the  savages  for  the  only  monument  to  mark  the 
many  historic  spots  in  the  valley.  Lieut.  Harrison  (afterward 
Commander  in-Cliief  of  the  Northwestern  army)  was  an  aid-de- 
camp to  Gen.  Wayne  in  this  campaign. 

4th.  Ft.  Industky.  Wayne  pursued  the  Indians  down 
the  river  until  they  took  refuge  under  the  guns  of  Ft.  Miami, 


lliHTORicAr,  SKKTf'ir  OF  Ft.  Mkfos. 


then  ^^'lrris()n(*<l  liy  soiiio  Hritisli  rcf^ulat's  uikKm'  IVfajor  (^aiiiplx!!!. 
Tlio  liittfjr's  \vjii'nin<^'  to  tlu;  Aiii(!ri(,'iin  troops  to  krop  tiicii"  dis- 
tiinco  or  lie  would  (Iro  upon  tlieni,  was  ansvvorcd  by  a  domand 
from  Wayne  to  know  tlm  reason  why  British  troo))s  were  thus 
occupying  American  t(;rritory  ;  the  reply  from  ('amphell  was 
that  he  was  acting-  under  tin;  orders  of  his  sup(  rior  olliccir,  and 
that  Ik;  should  maintain  his  ])osition  unless  otherwise  instruetcMJ. 
!Not  feelin<^  authoriz(;d,  at  this  juncture,  to  open  a  war  with  (Jreat 
Ih'itain,  (ien.  Wayne  ujarched  his  troops  ])ast  the  Tort,  out  of 
run^o.  of  the  *^nins,  and,  haltin<^^  at  the  mouth  of  Swan  ('reek, 
seven  miles  helow,  built  Ft.  Industry,  and  j^arrison(!d  it  with  a 
small  force  under  JJeut,  Rhea,  by  whom  it  continued  to  be  occu- 
])ied  for  several  years.  From  this  time  until  the  raising  of  the 
second  siege  of  Ft.  Meigs,  July  2H,  18i;>,  the  Ihitish  government 
held  a  |)recari()us  claim  to  the;  territory  northwest  of  the  Maumee 
river,  and  their  agents  from  ('anada  inlluenccul  the  Indians  to  aid 
them  in  holding  it. 

oth.  Ft.  Waynk.  Upon  tlie  completion  of  Ft.  Industry, 
Gen.  Wayne  marched  his  army  back  u[)  the  river  to  the  pres- 
ent site  of  the  city  of  Ft.  Wayne,  and  there,  in  the  fall  of  1704, 
constructed  the  military  fort  which  was  named  in  his  honor,  at 
the  confluence  of  the  two  rive.'s  which  form  the  Maumee;  leaving 
it  strongly  garrisoned,  he  wchdrew  his  main  force  to  Greenville, 
where  the  famous  treaty  of  peace  was  consummated  with  Little 
Turtle. 

6th.  Ft.  Mek,  vhis,  the  most  important  and  imposing 
of  the  fortifications  in  the  Maumee  Valley  and  the  great  North- 
west, was  constructed  by  Gen.  Harrison's  troo})s  under  the 
superint(mdence  of  (y'a})t.  Woo<l,  of  the  engineer's  corps,  early  in 
1813,  and  is  made  the  interesting  subject  of  this  sketch.  The 
autlior  has  attempted  the  task  with  no  |)retensions  of  offering 
anything  original,  but,  in  view  of  the  wid(;-spread  int(!rest  which 
as  recently  been  awakened  in  this  historic  spot,  he  gives  to  the 
public  a  compilation  of  facts  and  incidents  taken  from  the  best 
accredited  authorities,  including  the  official  reports  of  General 
Harrison. 


ii!l'l' 


,,i.Mts'i,i,,iiii,. ,. , ..in»>">!'ii|iiiit!tt'  ii'i|tii;m!!iii"in«m'<''^iibiipi|h, 


DOWNTHK  KAVINK  TOWARD   I'KKUYSHmii,  FROM  THE  NOUTII  AN(iLK,  LOOKING 

EAST:    D'DI.KY  UIIIIAI.  (iROrXD   ON  TlIK  RKillT,  MARKED  ]5Y  A 

DEAD  WALNl'T  TREE. 


HISTORICAL 


IMl'OKTANT    KVKNTS    PKEUEDINO   THE    SIEGE    OF    FT.    MEIGS. 


M|X  April,  1812,  the  Indians, 
^  ''  stimulated  by  the  English 


in  Canada,  had  become 
quite  iiostile  along  the  waters  of 
Lakes  Erie,  Huron  and  Michi- 
ii'an,  and  the  inhabitants  of  the 
Michigan  t<n'ritoi'y  were  utterly 
defenseless.  War  with  England 
was  imminent — a  war  to  com- 
pel her  to  discontinue  her  viola- 
tion of  the  treaty  of  17>i'S.  A 
lequisition  was  made  by  the 
President  upon  Gov.  Meigs,  of 
Ohio,  for  1,200  militia  to  pro- 
tect the  border,  and  in  obedi- 
ence to  the  call,  orders  were 
issued  to  the  Major-Generals 
of  the  western  and  middle  divisions  to  furnish  their  respective 
quotas  of  men,  and  rendezvous  at  Dayton,  April  29.  May  25 
following.  Gen.  AVm.  Hull,  having  been  a))pointed  to  conduct 
the  expedition,  took  command,  and  the  troops  commenced  the 
line  of  march  for  the  northwest  July  1,  proceeding  via  Staunton, 
Urbana,  Ft.  McArthur  ''on  the  Scioto),  Ft.  Necessity,  Ft.  Findlay 
(on  Blanchard's  Fork  of  che  Auglaize),  thence  to  the  foot  of  the 
rapids  of  the  Maumee  river.  From  Ft.  McArthuv  to  the  rapids 
the  route  was  through  a  dense  and  trackless  forest.,  150  miles  in 
length.  June  20,  while  at  Ft.  Findlay,  Gen.  Hull  received  dis- 
patches from  the  Secretary  of  War,  notifying  him  that  war  had 


DOWX   THK  SMAI.I.   KAVl.Ni;.    OTK  Till 
AN<iI,E  OK  THK  KOUT. 


KAST 


10 


Historical  Sketch  of  Ft.  Meiqs. 


been  declared  against  En^i^land.  Leaving  Ft,  Findlay  June  27, 
the  army  arrived  on  the  banks  of  the  Maumee  (near  the  site 
afterward  appropriated  for  the  buikling  of  Ft.  Meigs),  on  the 
30th.  One  who  was  with  TIulTs  army  (writing  the  history  of 
the  expedition  in  1815),  thus  speaks  of  their  arrival  at  the  river: 

"The  30th  was  a  joyous  day;  the  army  suddenly  emerged 
from  a  gloomy  wilderness,  150  miles  in  extent,  to  a  full  view  of 
tiie  broad  Miami  (Maumee),  and  its  elysian  banks.  Never  was 
the  power  of  contrast  more  sensibly  felt ;  in  the  rear  stood  a 
boundless  forest — the  abode  of  frightful  beasts  of  prey  and  unre- 
lenting savages ;  in  front  was  presented  to  the  ravished  senses  a 
scene  at  once  gay  and  magnificent  beyond  description.  Under 
the  eyes  rolled  a  beautiful  river ;  on  its  opposite  margin  arose  a 
smiling  village  ;  to  the  right  and  the  left,  as  far  as  the  eye  could 
reach,  were  seen  enameled  meadows  clad  in  the  rich  luxuriance 
of  a  summer's  dress." 

At  this  point  Lieut.  Robt.  Davidson,  and  twenty-five  men  of 
Col.  Gass'  regiment,  were  le^t  for  the  purpose  of  building  a  block- 
house, while  the  balance  of  the  troops  proceeded  to  Detroit,  where 
they  arrived  eTuly  5  ;  July  29,  the  British  colonel.  Proctor;  placed 
his  troops  at  Maiden,  cutting  off  the  supplies  of  the  American 
army  from  Ohio.  August  16,  Gen.  Hull  surrendered  his  whole 
army.  Mackinaw  and  Ft.  Dearborn  were  soon  afterward  cap- 
tured by  the  Indians,  and  all  of  the  northw^est,  excepting  Ft. 
Wayne  and  Ft.  Harrison  (which  were  both  attacked,  the  latter 
being  defended  by  troops  under  command  of  Zachary  Taylor), 
was  in  the  hands  of  the  British  and  Indians.  At  this  time,  at 
the  foot  of  the  Maumee  rapids  was  the  only  wiiite  settlement 
between  Lower  Sandusky  (Fremont)  and  Frenchtown  (Monroe), 
Mich. 

Previous  to  the  surrender  at  Detroit,  the  Governors  of  Ohio 
and  Kentucky,  in  obedience  to  orders  from  the  War  Department, 
had  sent  powerful  reinforcements  to  the  aid  of  Gen.  Hull,  and 
had  he  delayed  the  capitulation  a  few  days,  his  army  would  have 
been  saved.  The  forces  advancing  to  his  support  were  2,000 
militia  and  Col.  R.  M.  Johnston's  battalion  of  mounted  riflemen, 
of  Kentucky,  under  Gen.  Payne;  a  brigade  of  Ohio  militia  under 
Gen.  Tupper,  of  Gallia  county,  and  1,000  regulars  under  Gen. 
Winchester.  They  had  arrived  at  the  St.  Marys  river  when  the 
news  of  the  surrender  reached  them.     It  was  a  time  when  a 


Historical  Sketch  of  Ft,  Meigs. 


11 


1 


great  military  commander  was  needed  to  save  the  country  from 
dire  disaster.  The  Governor  of  Iventuck\'  brevetted  William 
Henry  Harrison  a  Major-General,  who  was  made  Commander  in- 
Chief  of  the  nci'th western  army,  Sept.  17,  1812;  it  was  while  at 
Piqua  that  he  first  received  the  official  dispatch  fi'om  Washing- 
ton notifying  him  of  his  appointment.  His  army  then  consisted 
of  regular  troops,  rangers,  volunteers  and  militia  from  Ohio  and 
Kentucky,  and  detached  militia  and  volunteers  from  Vii-ginia 
and  Pennsylvania.  Major  Stoddard,  senior  officer  of  artillery, 
was  ordered  to  report  to  him  with  all  of  the  artillery  which  could 
be  collected ;  Major  Denny,  of  Pitt:  burg,  received  the  contract 
for  furnishing  supplies  (stores  and  munitions),  and  Col.  Buford, 
Deputy  Commissioner,  at  Lexington,  Ky.,  was  supplied  with 
funds  subject  to  Gen.  Harrison's  order.  Harrison's  general  in- 
structions were  to  retake  Detroit,  with  a  view  to  the  conquest  of 
Upper  Canada,  and  to  penetrate  that  country  as  soon  as  practica- 
ble. Gen.  Harrison's  plan  was  to  collect  the  troops  at  Wooster, 
IJrbana,  Ft.  Defiance  and  St.  Marys,  and  from  these  points  con- 
centrate them  at  the  foot  of  the  rapids  on  the  Maumee,  the  pro- 
ject of  a  forced  march  to  Detroit  being  made  an  after  considera- 
tion. The  base  line  of  the  new  campaign  extended  from  Upper 
Sandusky  to  St.  Marys,  and  these  two  places,  with  Ft.  McArthur 
(near  the  present  city  of  Kenton),  were  intended  as  the  depots 
for  provisions,  artillery  and  military  stores.  The  troops  at  Ft. 
Defiance  were  intended  as  a  corps  of  observation,  and  were  to 
advance  to  the  foot  of  the  rapids  after  the  artillery  had  arrived  at 
Upper  Sandusky.  A  corps  of  observation  was  also  stationed  at 
Lower  Sandusky  (Fremont),  the  northeastern  extremity  of  the 
military  base.  This  arrangement  covered  the  frontier  at  every 
threatened  point,  and  the  various  quartermasters  were  busily 
engaged  in  accumulating  supplies  and  transportation,  in  anticipa- 
tion of  the  advance  of  the  main  army  to  the  objective  point — the 
foot  of  the  rapids  on  the  Maumee. 

In  the  meantime,  Gen.  Winchester  was  in  command  of  the 
troops  at  Ft.  Wayne,  still  ignorant  of  the  fact  that  Gen.  Harrison 
had  been  appointed  Commander-in-Chief.  The  latter  was  at  St. 
Marys,  where  3,000  troops  had  been  collected,  when  information 
was  received  that  a  large  force  of  British  and  Indians,  with  artil- 
lery, were  passing  up  the  left  bank  of  the  Maumee  to  attack  Ft. 
Wayne,  and  feeling  confident  that  Gen.  Winchester's  force  was 


12 


Historical  Sketch  of  Ft.  Meios. 


strong  enough  to  resist  the  enemy,  Gen.  Harrison  started  with 
his  troops  on  a  forced  march  to  Ft.  Defiance  to  intercept  them. 
This  was  enrly  in  October,  1812;  tiie  country  was  in  a  terrible 
•condition,  on  account  of  recent  heavy  rains,  and  it  was  not  until 
the  close  of  the  second  (hiy's  weary  i.iarch  that  the  troops  reached 
the  Auglaize  and  encamped  for  the  night,  "^.'he  march  was  re- 
sumed at  daybretik  the  next  morning,  and  in  the  course  of  the 
next  day  Gen.  Harrison  met  an  oflicer  from  Gen.  Winchester, 
who  informed  him  that  the  latter  had  advanced  to  Ft.  Defiance, 
and  the  enemy  had  fled.  Harrison  arrived  at  Ft.  Defiance  that 
night.  The  day  following  he  had  a  conference  with  Gen.  Win- 
chester, placing  him  in  command  of  the  left  wing  of  the  army,  and 
assigning  him  his  part  in  the  contemplated  general  operations. 
Gen.  E.  W.  Tapper  (who  had  joined  the  army  with  about  1,000  vol- 
unteers, raised  principally  in  his  own  coun'cy,  Giillia,  and  Lawrence 
and  Jackson  counties),  was  given  command  of  the  central  division, 
with  headquai'ters  at  Ft.  McArthur.  Harrison  took  personal 
command  of  the  right  wing,  with  headquarters  at  Upper  San- 
dusky. 

At  this  time  the  main  Britisli  troops,  under  Gen.  Proctor, 
were  at  Detroit  and  Maiden,  and  the  officers  were  in  ignorance 
of  the  military  preparations  in  Ohio.  Tlieir  Indian  allies  were 
raiding  througliout  the  country,  mostly  in  siTiall  detached  bands, 
a  large  party  of  them  being  engaged  in  foi-aging  for  corn  and 
hogs  on  the  rich  bottom  lands  along  the  Maumee  rapids. 

Several  minor  conflicts  occurred  with  the  Indians  during  the 
winter,  but  nothing  of  importance  transpired  until  January  10, 
1813,  when  Gen.  Winchester  arrived  with  his  troops  from  Defi 
ance  at  the  foot  of  the  rapids.  Messengers  reached  him  here  from 
the  inhabitants  of  Frenchtown  (Monroe),  on  the  river  Raisin,  im- 
plormg  protection,  as  they  were  exposed  to  the  hostility  of  the 
British  and  Indians.  Thereupon,  on  January  17,  Col.  Lewis,  with 
550  men,  was  sent  over  the  frozen  waters  of  the  river  and  lake 
to  their  succor,  followed  soon  afterward  with  110  more  men  under 
Col.  Allen.  They  arrived  on  the  afternoon  of  the  18th,  and  after 
a  sharp  conflict  gained  possession  of  the  village,  and  immediately 
commenced  the  erection  of  defenses  and  sent  for  reinforcements. 
On  the  19th  Winchester  started  to  support  them  with  259  men, 
reaching  his  destination  the  next  evening.  He  committed  the 
folly,  however,  of  encamping  on  the  open  ground,  neglecting  the 


Historical  Skktcii  of  Ft.  Meios. 


1.^ 


precaution  of  erecting  earthworks  or  stationing  advanced  picket 
guards.  At  daybreak  they  were  aroused  by  the  discharge  of 
gra])eshot  from  a  Britisli  battery,  erected  within  300  yards  of 
their  camp,  and  the  yells  of  the  savages  who  had  surrounded  them 
upon  every  side.  The  result  was  inevitable ;  and  those  of  Wiu- 
chester's  troops  who  escaped  death  or  capture  (which  were  pro- 
portionately few  in  nuniber),  lied,  Wincliester  and  Lewis  beintj 
among  the  ))risoners.  The  party  who  were  stationed  behind  their 
slight  defenses  still  retained  their  position,  but,  urder  the  order 
of  Winchester  (who  was  persuaded  by  Proctor's  old  argument  of. 
an  irrepressible  Indian  massacre  in  case  of  continued  resistance)^ 
they  surrendered.  The  pernicious  Proctor's  pledge  was  broken, 
however,  and  the  scene  of  massacre  which  followed  on  the  suc- 
ceeding night  and  day  forms  one  of  the  most  hideous  chapters  ia 
the  iiistory  of  our  country.  Of  the  American  arm}^  over  900. 
strong,  one-third  were  killed  in  battle,  or  in  the  massacre  which 
followed,  and  but  33  escaped  capture. 

On  the  night  of  the  l()th,  Harrison  (who  was  then  at  Upper 
Sandusky),  received  notice  that  Winchester  with  the  left  wing  of 
the  army  had  arrived  at  the  foot  of  the  Maumee  rapids,  and  soon, 
afterward  of  the  expedition  to  the  river  Raisin  ;  he  at  once  pro- 
ceeded to  Lower  Siindusk}',  and  on  the  morning  of  the  18th  sent 
forward  a  detachment  of  troops  to  the  su»>poi't  of  Winchester. 
On  the  19tli,  Harrison  started  with  additional  troops,  and  on  the 
morning  of  the  '20th  arrived  at  the  Maumee  rapids.  The  balance 
of  Winchester's  troops  which  he  had  left  at  the  rapids  (300  in 
number),  and  a  regiment  of  Harrison's  command,  were  alsa 
hastily  dispatched  to  Frenclitown  on  the  evening  of  the  21st  and 
the  morning  of  the  following  day.  These  troops,  however,  were- 
met  soon  after  they  st.irted  by  some  of  the  survivors  of  the  con- 
flict, who  told  the  terrible  tale.  It  was  decided  b}^  a  council  of 
officers  that  it  would  be  needless  and  unwise  to  ])roceed  farther, 
and  the  troops  returned  to  the  rapids.  The  next  morning,  in 
order  to  prevent  the  possibility  of  being  cut  off  from  their  sup- 
plies, the  trooj)s  retired  to  the  Portage  river,  18  miles  back  from 
Winchester's  position,  aft(M'  first  destroying  the  block-house  that 
had  been  erected,  together  with  such  provisions  as  they  could  not 
cany  away.  Here  Harrison  awaited  the  arrival  of  expected  re- 
infoi'cements  of  troops  and  artillery,  which  were  detained  by  the 
heavy  rains  and  di  1  not  put  in  an  appearance  until  January  30. 


14 


Historical  Sketch  of  Ft.  Meigs. 


On  Febrrary  1,  with  1,700  men  and  a  few  pieces  of  artillery, 
Harrison  again  advanced  to  the  foot  of  the  rapids,  where  he  took 
up  a  more  commanding  position  than  Winchester  had  selected. 
All  troops  were  ordered  to  rendezvous  at  this  point  as  quickly  as 
possible,  and  the  erection  of  Ft.  Meigs  was  immediately  com- 
menced. Letters  regarding  the  defeat  of  Winchester  were  received 
by  Gov.  Meigs  from  every  part  of  the  State,  and  the  country  was 
greatly  alarmed. 

THE     patriotic    RALLY    TO    HAKRISON's     STANDARD,    AS    DESCRIBED     BY 

A    PARTICIPANT. 


The  following,  from  the  pen  of  Rev.  A.  M.  Lorraine,  one  of 
the  Virginia  troops  at  Ft.  Meigs,  will  prove  of  interest  in  this 
connection  : 

"  When  the  news  of  Hull's  surrender  reached  the  patriotic 
town  of  Petersburg,  in  Virginia,  it  overwhelmed  the  whole  pop- 
ulation with  indignation  and  sorrow.  Some  of  the  most  popular 
young  men,  with  m.artial  music  and  the  American  ensign,  paraded 
the  streets,  and  with  impassioned  appeals  called  on  their  youth- 
ful associates  to  march  to  the  rescue.  The  scene  that  followed 
was  soul-thrilling  to  the  patriot.  Clerks,  ineclianics  and  students 
of  medicine  and  law  rushed  to  the  standard,  and  the  placid  far- 
mer took  the  epidemic  and  fell  in.  In  «  few  days  a  company  of 
one  hundred  and  four,  richly  uniformed,  offered  themselves  to 
the  government  to  serve  twelve  months  under  the  banner  of  the 
brave  Harrison,  and  no  married  man  was  admitted  into  the  ranks. 

"  At  an  early  hour  in  the  day,  the  comjmny  marched  to 
'Center  Hill,'  which  overlooked  the  town.  Tiiere  they  were 
met  by  a  delegation  of  ladies,  who  presented  the  company  with  a 
stand  of  colors,  richlv  and  tastilv  ornamented.  Fond  farewells 
were  spoken,  vvdiich,  to  many  of  the  young  men,  were  the  last  on 
earth  to  those  they  loved  most  dearly,  and  with  knapsacks  on 
our  backs,  we  marched  forth."     *     *     * 

The  first  night  the  company  camped  near  Warebottom 
Church,  and  the  next  day  they  entered  Richmond,  escorted  by  a 
detachment  of  troops.  Here  another  volunteer  company  was  or- 
ganized, and  they  started  on  the  inarch  for  the  Western  frontier. 
On  their  route  through  Virginia  they  were  feted  and  cheered  in 
the  most  flattering  manner.     Passing  by  Monticello,  they  were 


Historical  Sketch  of  Ft.  Meigs. 


15 


given  a  grand  reception  by  Tl)oinas  Jett'erson.  Climbing  the 
Bluv:j  Ridge,  they  proceeded,  via  White  Sulphur  Sj)rings,  down  the 
Great  Kanawha,  and  crossing  tlie  Ohio  ilvor  at  Point  Pleasant, 
soon  reached  Chillicothe,  then  the  capital  of  Ohio.  The  legisla- 
ture, which  was  then  in  sftSoion,  gave  them  a  grand  feast,  which 
was  follow^ed  by  ore  from  the  citizens  But  now  the  Indian 
summer  days  had  passed,  and  the  trials  and  hardships  of  a  sol- 
dier's life  commenced.  As  they  left  Chillicothe,  a  bleak  north- 
wester began  to  blow,  the  rain  and  snow  were  driven  in  their 
faces,  and  the  whole  country  became  covered  with  the  white 
mantle  of  winter.  Through  mud  and  ice  and  storms  and  swollen 
streams,  they  forced  their  way  to  Franklinton  (a  village  on  the 
Scioto,  opposite  the  present  city  of  Columbus),  which  was  then 
the  headquarters  of  the  army.     Lorraine  continues: 

"  For  the  twelve  succeeding  months,  our  tender  volunteers, 
most  of  whom  had  not  passed  their  twentieth  year,  were  exposed 
to  labors,  dangers,  deprivation  and  death,  of  which  their  youthful 
minds  had  never  conceived.  We  moved  on  through  the  plat  of 
Columbus,  where  there  was  at  that  time  only  one  house  erected — 
albeit  we  left  Franklinton  in  its  meridian  glory.  Through  most 
intolerable  roads  and  severe  weather,  we  reached  the  town  of 
Delaware,  then  a  liandsome  village — the  %iltima  thiile  of  /.merican 
civilization,  as  far  as  our  route  was  concerned.  We  passed  only 
one  cabin  between  this  town  and  Upper  Sandusky,  and  the  plains 
of  Crawford  presenttsd  but  a  wild  waste  of  crusted  snow,  through 
which  we  marched  with  excessive  labor.  When  we  reached  the 
embodied  host  on  the  Sandusky  river,  our  little  band  seemed  to 
mingle  as  an  atom  in  the  long  line  which  at  daybreak  was  mus- 
tered on  the  high  banks  of  the  river." 

At  midnight,  during  a  howling  snow  storm,  the  troops 
were  aroused  from  slumber  by  a  call  to  arms,  and  in  a  few  min- 
utes they  were  marching  through  the  dark,  dense  forest,  bound 
through  the  Black  Swamp  to  reinforce  Harrison,  who,  after 
Winchester's  defeat,  had  fallen  back  on  the  Carrying  (Portage) 
river.  Led  by  a  guide,  the  whole  detachment  followed  in  Indian 
file,  laden  with  their  accouterments.  It  was  a  tedious,  trying,  des- 
perate march,  which  was  alleviated  somewhat  after  they  struck 
Hull's  road.  The  first  day  and  night  they  marched  thirty  miles 
and  camped  in  the  snow     After  untold  hardships  they  joined 


a: 

I 


16 


Htstobical  Skktcii  op  Ft.  Meios. 


Gen.  Harrison's  command  on  the  batiks  of  the  Portage,  and  the 
whole  army,  witliout  loss  of  time,  moved  on  to  the  Manmee  river, 
four  or  five  miles  above  Pcrrysburg  (Winchesler's  old  position). 
Here  they  encamped  for  the  nigl^.t,  and  the  next  morning  (Feb. 
2,  18 13),  the  whole  command,  with  cheii  heavy  ordnance  and 
baggage,  marched  down  the  fnjzen  river  in  solid  column  to  the 
foot  of  the  rapids,  where  they  halted  on  an  elevated  and  com- 
manding position.  . 

BUILDING    OF   FT.    MEIGS,    FEBRUARY    2,    1813. 


Here  it  was  determined  to  take  up  winter  quarters,  and  a 
hollow  square  was  formed  on  the  most  commanding  hill.  Trees 
were  felled  and  breastworks  were  thrown  about  the  whole  army 
before  the  troops  were  permitted  to  retire  to  rest.  Their  supper 
consisted  of  parched  corn,  which  had  been  their  only  subsistence 
d,  ring  the  entire  day  ;  the  grain  had  been  gathered  from  the 
rich  bottom  lands  in  their  march  down  the  river.  For  several 
subsequent  weeks,  the  troops  were  employed  daily  in  digging 
trenches,  felling  trees,  splitting  logs,  setting  up  picketing  (which 
was  composed  of  the  split  logs),  raising  blockhouses,  and  doing 
everything  necessary  to  fortify  the  post,  which  originally  covered 
nine  acres  (afterward  increased  to  about  fourteen  acres),  and 
which,  when  finished,  was  named  "Ft,  Meigs,"  in  honor  of  the 
patriotic  governor  of  Ohio.  Capt.Wood,  of  the  engineer's  corps, 
superintended  the  construction. 

Mr.  Lorraine  states :  "  This  season  of  fatigue  was  replete 
with  hardships,  as  it  was  in  the  deptli  of  winter,  and  we  suffered 
from  many  privations.  However,  our  bodies  and  minds  were  ac- 
tively employed,  which  rendered  our  condition  far  preferable  to 
what  followed.  The  winter  was  unusually  severe,  and  one  un- 
fortunate sentinel  was  found  one  morning  at  his  post  frozen  to 
death." 

DIS1'0SA.L    OF   THE   TROOPS    AND   PREPARATIONS    FOR   THE    WINTER. 

Gen.  Harrison's  design,  when  he  rendezvoused  his  army  at 
the  foot  of  the  Maumee  rapids,  was  to  make  a  vigorous  attack 
upon  the  British  and  Indians  at  Maiden,  but  he  was  prevented 
by  circumstances  over  which  he  had  no  control.     A  January 


Historical  8 ketch  of  Ft.  Mekis. 


w 


lliaw  liRvl  ouciiri'ftd  which  rendered  roads  almost  impassable,  and 
tlie  trip  over  the  ico  nttorly  impossible.  A  number  of  wagons 
and  sleds,  loaded  with  ammunition  and  other  munitions  of  war, 
were  about  twenty-four  days  making  the  trij)  from  Upper  San- 
dusky to  the  Maumee.  The  period  of  service  of  the  Ohio  and 
Kentucky  troops  who  first  .ook  the  !.eld  expired  in  February, 
but  they  expressed  themselves  perfectly  willing  to  follow  Harri- 
son against  the  enemy  without  regard  to  the  exj)iration  of  their 
term  of  enlistment — ^a  terra  of  fourteen  months.  In  a  dispatch 
to  the  Secretary  of  War,  dated  "  Head(juarters,  foot  of  the 
Miami  Rapids,  Feb.  11,  1813,"  Gen.  Harrison  says: 

"  Having  been  joined  by  Gen.  Leftraech,  with  his  brigade,  and 
a  regiment  of  the  Pennsylvania  (juota,  at  the  Portage  river,  on 
the  30th  ult.,  1  marched  from  t/ence  on  the  1st  inst.,  and  reached 
this  place  on  the  morning  of  the  2d,  with  an  effective  force  of 
sixteen  hundred  men.     I  have  since  been  joined  by  a  Kentucky 
regiment,  and  Gen.  Tupper's  Ohio  brigade,  which  has  increased 
our  numbers  to  two  thousand  non-commissioned  officers  and  pri- 
vates.    *     *     *     I  have  ordered  the  whole  of  the  troc^ps  of  the 
left  wing  (excepting  one  company  for  each  of  the  six  forts  in  that 
quarter),  the  balance  of  the  Pennsylvania  brigade,  and  the  Ohio 
bi'igade  under  Gen.  Tupper,  and  a  detachment  of  regular  troops 
of  twelve-months'  volunteers  under  command  of  Col.  Campbell, 
to  march  to  this  place  as  soon  as  possible.    *     *     *     The  disposi- 
tion of  the  troops  for  the  remainder  of  the  winter  will  be  as  fol- 
lows :     A  battalion  of  militia  lately  called  out  from  this  State, 
with  the  company  of  tr   jps  now  at  Ft.  Winchester  [Defiance,] 
will  garrison  the  posts  upon  the  waters  of  the  Auglaize  and  St. 
Marys.      The  small  blockhouses  upon  Hull's  trace,   will  have  a 
subaltern's  command   in   each.      A  company   will  be  placed  at 
Upper  Sandusky,  and  another  at  Lower  Sandusky.     All  the  rest 
of  the  troops  will  be  brought  to  this  place,  amounting  to  from 
1,500  to  1,800  men.     I  am  erecting  here  a  pretty  strong  fort — 
capable  of   resisting  field  artillery  at  least.     The  troops  will  be 
placed  in  a  fortified  camp,  covered  on  one  flank  by  the  fort.  This 
is  the  best  position  that  can  be  taken  to  cover  the  frontier,  and 
the  small  posts  in  the  rear  of  it,  and  those  above  it  on  the  Miami 
[Maumee]  and  its  waters.    The  force  placed  here  ought,  however, 
to  be  strong  enough  to  encounter  any  that  the  enemy  may  detach 


I 


18 


HlHTOHhJAL    SkKTCH    OK    Ft.    MeKIS. 


against  the  forts  above.  Twenty-five  hundred  would  not  be  too 
many.  But,  anxums  to  reduce  the  expenses  (hu'ing  the  winter 
within  as  narrow  bounds  as  ])ossible,  I  liave  desired  the  (rovernor 
of  Kentucky  not  to  call  out  (but  to  hold  in  readiness  to  march) 
the  1,500  men  lat«.  y  refjuired  of  him.  All  the  teams  which  have 
been  hired  for  the  public  service  will  be  discharged,  and  those 
belonging  to  the  public,  which  are  principally  oxen,  disposed  of  in 
the  settlements,  where  forage  is  cheaper,  and  every  other  ar- 
rangement made  which  will  lessen  the  expenses  during  the  winter. 
Attention  will  still,  however,  be  paid  to  the  deposit  of  supplies 
for  the  ensuing  campaign.  Immense  supplies  of  provisions  have 
been  accumulating  upon  the  Auglaize  river,  and  boats  and 
Dirogues  prepared  to  bring  them  down  as  soon  as  the  river  opens." 

A    BOLD    BUT    UNSUCCESSFUL    ENTEKI'KISK. 


On  Friday,  February  20,  a  company  of  men,  who  had  volun- 
teered their  services  to  go  upon  a  b(jl(l  and  desj)erate  enterprise, 
was  sent  out  by  Gen.  Harrison  from  the  fort,  with  insti-uctions 
to  rendezvous  at  a  blockhouse  located  upon  the  site  subsequently 
occupied  by  Ft.  Stephenson,  at  Lower  Sandusky,  which  was  at 
that  time  tlie  northern  outpost  of  the  military  base,  and  garrison- 
ed by  two  companies  of  militia.  The  force,  which  was  under  the 
command  of  Capt.  Langham,  consist'^d  of  220  regulars  and  Vir- 
ginia and  Pennsylvania  militia,  and  22  Indians ;  total,  242,  besides 
guides  and  sled  drivers. 

March  2,  they  left  the  Lower  Sandusky  blockhouse,  with  six 
days'  provisions,  and  after  proceeding  about  a  mile  down  the 
Portage  river,  they  were  halted  and  informed  by  Capt.  Langham 
that  the  object  of  the  expedition  was  to  cross  over  the  frozen  lake 
to  Maiden,  and,  in  the  darkness  of  the  night,  destroy,  with  com- 
bustibles, the  British  fleet  and  the  military  stores  upon  the  rivers 
bank;  then  retreat  in  their  sleighs  toTn  point  on  Maumee  Bay, 
where  they  were  to  be  met  by  a  large  force  under  Harrison,  who 
would  cover  their  retreat  to  the  fort.  The  proximity  of  Indian 
and  French  spies  renc'ered  the  enterprise  exceedingly  hazardous, 
and  an  opportunity  was  given  to  those  who  desired  to  withdraw. 
About  twenty  militiamen  and  a  half-dozen  Indians  took  ad  van 
tage  of  this  liberty,  and  the  balance  continued  on  down  the  river 


Historical  Sketch  of  Ft.  MErciis. 


19 


in  s'cif^hs,  across  Satidiisky  I5ay  and  t\ui  peninsula  at  tiio  loft,  to 
tlio  laU'o  shore,  where  they  encatnpcd  for  the  ni^^dit;  hein*,^  with- 
out tents  thoy  became  thoroughly  wet  from  the  snow  and  rain, 
and  thirteen  of  the  militia,  and  several  of  the  Indians,  with  a 
chief,  turned  back.  In  the  nu)rninir  tluiy  crossed  the  ice,  a  dis- 
tance of  seventeen  miles,  to  Middh;  Hass  Island.  In  the  afternoon 
they  discovered  sled  tracks  in  the  snow,  leadin*^  from  the  direc- 
tion of  Sandusky  I>ay  toward  Maiden,  and  it  was  rightly  conjec- 
tured that  they  had  been  made  by  a  couple  of  French  spies,  who 
had  gone  to  inform  the  enemy.  At  the  north  0+'  the  island,  the 
ice  was  discovered  to  be;  weak  and  broken  up  in  the  distance ;  the 
weather  continued  to  be  very  mild,  and  as  the  guides  declared 
that  a  continuation  of  the  trip  was  impractical)le  and  sure  to  prove 
disastrous,  they  returned  by  way  of  Presque  Isle,  at  which  j)oint 
they  met  (ion.  Harrison  with  a  body  of  troops,  and  from  thence 
they  proceeded  to  Ft.  iVIeigs  in  safety.  On  their  return  journey 
they  found  the  lake  open  near  West  Sister  Island.  No  doubt  the 
expedition  would  have  been  a  grand  success  if  it  could  have  been 
made  earlier  in  the  season. 

ADVENTURES    WHU    THE    INDIANS. 


lake 
com- 
iver's 

Bay, 

who 
ndian 
rdous, 
draw. 
(Ivan 

river 


On  March  J),  the  day  being  fine,  several  of  the  soldiers  started 
from  the  fort,  and  crossing  the  river  went  down  as  far  as  Ft. 
Miami  on  a  hunting  expedition.  They  were  discovered  by  a 
roving  band  of  Indians,  who  fired  upon  them  and  then  fled.  One 
man  received  a  leaden  ball  in  the  leaves  of  a  Jiible,  which  he 
carried  in  his  breast  pocket.  Lieut.  Walker  was  killed;  his 
remains  were  recovered  the  next  (lay,  and  buried  on  the  parade 
ground  of  the  fort,  where  they  still  lie.  The  others  arrived  at 
the  fort  unharmed. 

Early  in  April,  a  small  body  of  Canadian  French  volunteers, 
who  had  enlisted  under  Harrison,  were  reconnoitering  in  a  boat 
along  the  narrow  channel  north  of  the  large  island  just  above  Ft. 
j\liami,  when  th(^y  were  attacked  by  a  band  of  Indians  who  had 
suddenly  advanced  to  meet  them  in  two  large  canoes  which  had 
been  concealed  on  the  shore.  A  desperate  hand-to-hand  conflict 
ensued,  during  which  all  of  the  whites  but  the  commanding  officer 
and  two  of  his  men  were  either  killed  or  wounded,  and  all  of  the 
savages  but  one  were  slain.     As  the  whites  were  returning  to  the 


20 


Historical  Skktcii  ok  Ft.  Mkios. 


fort  tliov  saw  this  solitarv  hnivo  sit  up  in  one  of  tho  canoos  and 
paddlo  feebly  to  the  shore. 

Ol'IiNING    OF    THE   SIEGE   OF    FT.    MEI08. 


Late  in  Marcli,  Gen.  Harrison,  anticipating  th(^  advjuico  of 
the  British  from  Maiden  as  soon  as  the  ice  broke  up,  went  to  tho 
interior  to  bring  forwai'd  sonu3  of  the  I'eserve  troo|)s,  and  des- 
])atched  Ca|)t.  Wm.  Oliver  with  an  onler  lor  the  Kentucky  troops 
to  hasten  forward.  April  12th  he  i-eturned  with  a  detachment  of 
troops  and  applied  himself  earnestly  to  the  strengthening  of 
Ft.  Meigs,  rec(jgnizing  the  fact  that  it  must  stand  as  the  grand 
bulwark  of  defense  for  the  thousands  of  s<|uai-(;  miles  of  territory 
Ivinif  between  the  Ohio  river  and  the  <rreat  lakes. 

On  the  breaking  up  of  the  Ice  in  Lake  I]i:  ,  (ien.  Proctor, 
with  all  his  available  forces,  moved  up  the  lett  bank  ot  the  Mau- 
inee  for  the  purpose  of  laying  siege  to  Ft.  Meigs.  According 
to  Jiritish  reports,  this  force  consisted  of  ;■)()()  legulars  and  ('an- 
adian  militia  from  Maiden  and  1,500  Lidians  under  Tecumseh  (a 
total  of  2,000,  afterward  increased  about  one-half),  accompanied 
by  a  train  of  battering  artillery,  attended  by  two  gunboats;  one 
of  the  battering  guns  was  a  twenty -four  poumlei-.  The  main 
British  camp  was  established  at  Ft.  Miami.  One  of  the  Vir- 
ginia Volunteers  at  Ft.  Meigs,  in  speaking  of  this  exciting 
period,  says : 

"  On  the  afternoon  of  April  26,  as  numbers  were  gathered 
together  on  the  parade,  two  strangers,  linel}'  mounted,  ai)peared 
on  the  opposite  bank  of  the  river,  and  seemed  to  be  taking  a 
very  calm  and  deliberate  survey  of  our  works.  The  circumstance 
was  a  suspicious  one,  and  in  order  to  ascertain  their  business  a 
messenger  was  sent  across  the  river  in  the  shape  of  a  ball  from 
one  of  our  heavy  guns,  which  tore  up  the  earth  about  them  and 
put  them  to  a  hasty  flight.  If  that  ball  had  struck  its  mark,, 
much  bloodshed  might  have  been  prevented,  for  wo  subsequently 
learned  that  our  illustrious  visitors  were  Proctor  and  Tecumseh. 
The  garrison  was  innnediately  emph^yed  m  building  immense 
traverses  aci'oss  the  fort,  taking  down  the  tents  and  jireparing 
for  a  siege.  The  work  accomplished  in  a  few  hours,  under  the 
excitement  of  the  occasion,  was  prodigious.  The  grand  traverse 
being  completed,  each  mess  was  ordered  to  excavate,  under  the 


HlHTOUICAl     .^KKTCII    OF    Ft.    M'lUS. 


21 


^mbankiiicnt,  snitai)lo  l<)(l<i;in','s  as  substitutes  for  tents.  Tliose 
rootus  \ver(5  sliot-proot'  and  homh-proot',  except  in  tlie  event  of  a 
sliell  l'alliii«,^  in  tlic  traverse  and  at  the  mouth  of  a  cave."  Those 
bouih-prools  wei't!  <li'aine(l  by  a  ditch  cut  through  the  heavy  out- 
side etnbaukuient  to  th(^  slope  of  the  hill,  and  some  of  thorn  had 
floors  laid  with  brick,  Mat  stones  antl  timbei'.  The  well  which 
had  been  commenced  inside  the  fort  was  not  yet  completed,  and 
many  men  were  afterward  shot  while  en;4ajL'ed  in  the  perilous 
task  of  supplyin<^  the  «^arrison  with  water  from  the  river.  Dur- 
in<^  the  strengtluuun^  of  the  works,  Gen.  Ilarrisim  was  present 
everywhere,  encoura«^ing  his  men  in  their  labors. 

April  27  the  enemy  established  three  «;un  batteries  and  one 
mortar  battery  on  the  left  bank  of  the  river,  directly  opposite 
the  fort;  the  ])resent  sites  of  the  Methodist  and  Presbyterian 
churches  in  Maumee,  and  a  point  midway  between  them,  indi- 
cate, as  nearly  as  can  be  ascertained,  the  location  of  the  gun  bat- 
teries, and  on  the  prominent  point  on  the  river's  bank,  in  the 
lower  part  of  town,  the  mortar  battery  was  planted;  all  were 
well  protected  by  earthwork's,  which  tit  the  latter  pc^int  are  still 
well  ])reserve(l.  For  some  distance  around  the  fort,  on  every 
side,  the  timber  had  all  been  cut  and  used  in  the  construction  of 
the  stockade  and  blockhouses  ;  this  o[)en  space  gave  f'^-^e  play  to 
the  artillery  and  small  arms  and  prevented  a  surprise  from  the 
Indians.  On  the  evening-  of  the  2Tth,  the  main  bodv  of  Indians 
was  conveyed  across  the  river  in  boats  and  they  surrounded  the 
garrison.  On  the  2i)th,  the  siege  began  in  earnest,  all  coi. ".muni- 
cation  being  cut  off,  and  firing  from  that  time  continued  briskly 
on  both  sides.  Gen.  Harrison  gave  his  personal  attention  to 
every  detail,  seeming  to  be  perfectly  indifferent  to  the  danger  tv) 
which  he  exposed  liimself,  and  he  met  with  many  narrow  escapes. 
According  to  h.is  orders,  one-third  of  the  men  were  continually 
on  active  duty.  Many  of  these  young  heiocs  here  had  their  first 
taste  of  battle,  and  they  afterward  received  the  deserved  con- 
gi'atulations  of  their  beloved  commander  for  their  brave  gallantry 
and  unshrinking  devotion.  A.  M.  Lorraine,  in  telling  his  inter- 
esting story  of  the  siege,  says  : 

"  One  of  our  militia  men  took  his  station  on  the  embank- 
ment and  gratuitously  forewarned  us  of  every  shot.  In  this  he 
became  so  skillful  that  he  could,  in  almost  every  case,  predict  the 
destination  of  the  ball.     As  soon  as  he  saw  the  smoke  issue  from 


22 


]IlHTOKI(!AL    SkKTCU    (»K     Vt.    MkKJH. 


the  muzzl(?  of  the  gun,  he  would  cry  o>  j  sliot'  or  '  hoiiih  '  as  tlie 
case  iniirht  be  —  'Look  out,  main  battery' — '  Jiloekhouse  No. 
1'  —  'Nowfortlie  uuiat  liouse  ' — '  (Jood-liye  if  you  will  pass.' 
The  bi'avo  fellow  continued  to  maintjiin  his  post,  despite  the 
expostulations  of  his  friends,  until  one  shot  oanu!  vvliieh  defied  all 
Ids  ciilculii.tions.  Silent,  nu)tioid(%ss,  per|)lex(!(l,  he  stood  for  a 
moment,  and  thcHi  lit;  was  swept  into  eternity.  In  his  zeal,  the 
unfortunate  hero  forgot  to  corisid(;r  that  when  there  was  no 
obli()uity  in  the  issue  of  the  smoke,  either  to  the  ri<^ht  or  left, 
above  or  below,  the  fatal  messenger  was  ti-avelin^^'  in  the  direct 
line  of  Ids  vision.  On  the  most  iUitive  d-Ay  of  the  inv«!stnient,  as 
many  as  live  Jiundred  shots  and  bom')s  were  huiled  at  our  fort. 
Meantime,  the  Indians,  from  their  positions  in  the  brandies  of 
the  nearest  tr(;es,  Jlred  incessantly  at  us  over  the  stockade,  but 
they  were  so  distant  that  little  serio'-,>  execution  was  done,  maii^y 
of  the  balls  Falling  to  the  <<round  before  th-3y  reached  their  des- 
tination. The  nund)ei'  killed  in  tlie  fort  v;as  snudl  considering 
the  ])roruse  exj)enditui'e  of  ball  and  powder.  Many  of  the 
wounded  had  to  sulfer  the  amj)utation  of  limbs. 

"Tlie  most  dangerous  duty  which  we  |)ei'f()rme(l  within  the 
precincts  of  the  fort  was  in  covfM'ing  the  magazine.  Previous  t'> 
this  the  powder  had  been  deposit(!d  in  wagons  and  these  stati(incd 
in  the  grand  traverse.  ll(;re  tlu^re  was  no  security  against  boml;s, 
and  it  was  thcj'efore  thought  jU'udent  to  remove  tlu;  powder  into 
a  small  blockhouse  and  cover  it  with  earth.  TIk;  euiMuy,  judg- 
ing our  design  from  onr  movenujnts,  now  directed  all  their  shots 
at  this  ])oint,  and  many  of  their  balls  were  red-hot.  Wherever 
they  sti'uck  they  produced  a  cloud  of  smoke  and  made  a  frightful 
hissing.  An  ollicHir,  ])assing  oui-  (piartei's,  said,  '  l>oys,  who  will 
volunteer  to  cover  the  magazine^'  Fired  with  ])a,triotic  zeal, 
away  seveial  of  us  went,  and  as  we  reached  the  spot  a  ball  from 
the  enemy's  guns  took  olf  the  head  of  one  of  ouj'  party,  ilow 
the  dirt  Hew  from  the  shovels  in  our  n(M'Vous  hands!  While  we 
were  desperately  at  work  a  bondj  shell  fell  upon  th(;  roof,  and, 
lodging  in  one  of  the  braces,  couimenced  spiniung.  Instantly  we 
fell  })rostrate  on  our  faces,  and,  in  breathless  lun-ror,  awaittnl  the 
tremendous  ex))losion  which  wo  expected  to  end  our  earthly 
career.  Only  one  of  the  party  exercised  his  calm  reason,  and 
silently  ai'gued  that,  as  the  shell  had  not  exploded  as  ([uickly  as. 
usual,  sometliing  might  be   wrong  in  its  arrangement,     in  any 


JilSTdllK.'AL    SkKTCU    (tK    I<'t.     M  KKIS. 


2:i 


10 

Mid 

lii 

l»y 


event,  doutli  was  inovital)!*!  if  it  was  not  (;xtin<^iiisli(Ml,  and  tlio 
brave  fellow,  sin'lni^nr,^^  t<>  his  feet,  seized  a  boat  lio(jk,  piillod  the 
hissin^^  i)omb  to  the  i^'round  and  j(!rk(!(l  tlu;  biii'nin*^'  fuse  from  its 
80cl<(!t.  It  was  tluHi  dis{-ov(!re(l  that  tlu;  shell  was  lilhid  with 
inllaniinabh^  niatlcu",  which,  if  ontie  (!X])h)(ie<l,  woiihl  have  spi'ead 
flames  on  all  iiround.  Immccliatdly  i'«siinHn<^  our  la,l)ors,  we  wwo 
sfjon  i-elieved  l)V  tlu!  w<?lconie  int(;ni''en(;(!  tiiat  the  niaj-azine  was 
sale,  and  we  could  <^o  to  our  lines." 

On  th(;  ni^ht  of  Apiil  .'{o,  the  (^rM^my  towed  a,  •^•nn boat  u\> 
near  tin;  foi't  and  lii'(!d  ))oint  l)lanlv  shot  for  soinc!  time,  without 
efFcct,  and  tlun'  I'otired  from  their  position  as  soon  as  it  was  HjLjdit 
enough  for  them  to  be  seen  by  the  gunners  at  the  foi'^.  May  1, 
the  enemy  lired  250  times  from  their  gun  batteries,  and  their 
24-ponnd  shot  ])asse(i  through  tlui  pickcits  without  disj)lacing 
them;  eight  AiiHii-icaus  weni  wounded  that  day,  aiid  a,  bubet 
struck  the  seat  on  which  Harrison  was  sitting.  May  2,  the  eiuMiiy 
fired  457  cannon  shot;  tin;  Amcirican  loss  was  oiuj  kill(!d  and  ten 
woutKMMl  ;  s(!vei"al  were  sliglitly  injured  by  tln^  Indian  buli(U.s 
fired  from  the  ti'(M^s.  May  ."»,  th(^  'i(irc(!  liring  of  bombs  and  can- 
non balls  (iontinued,  at  int(irva.ls,  all  day  ;  an  Indian,  from  a  ti'ec;, 
shot  one  jnan  thi'ough  the  head,  and  he  was  in  turn  brought  down 
by  a  Kentucky  sharpshooter;  six  othei-s  wcm  kilhsd  by  bombs 
and  solid  shot;  the  enemy  lired  510  shots  during  the  day,  and  47 
at  night. 

On  th(i  night  of  May  '^,  a  gun  and  moilar  battcM-y,  with 
abont  200  regulai's  wcm'c  transported  on  tlu>  guid)oats  across  the 
river  from  the  IJritish  camp  at  Ft.  Miami,  and  seci'ctly  fortilied 
thems(ilves  in  an  arm  of  tho  broixl  ravine  which  extends  in  a 
northeast  d  ;(!tion  from  the  f(jrt.  This  position  was  about  400 
yards  distant  from  tlu^  fort,  and  the  t^aith works  which  W(!re 
erected  are  still  to  be  s(;en  near  the  southwest  boundary  of  Ft. 
Meigs  cemetery.  Tlui  uiorning  of  tin;  4th  opened  with  rain,  which 
retarded  the  lire  of  the  eni^ny.  Tlu;  erec*^'on  of  iIk;  battery  in 
the  ravine  was  soon  discovered  at  the  foi't,  and  short  travc^rses 
were  (piickly  thrown  up  at  right  angles  with  the  gi-and  traverse, 
to  protect  the  troops  from  their  fire.  At  this  time,  Harrison  re- 
ceived a  summons  from  Proct(jr  to  surnaider,  the  nu;ssenger 
(Major  (yluunbers)  bond)astica,lly  exagg(!rating  the  means  at  his 
command,  (b^n.. Harrison's  historic  r«;ply  was:  ''Assure  the  gen- 
eral  that  he  will  never   have  this  post  surrende.'od  to  him  ui)on 


24 


HiSTOKICAL    SkKTCII    OF    Ft.    MeIGS. 


any  terms.  Should  it  fall  into  bis  hands,  it  will  be  in  a  manner 
calculated  to  do  him  more  honor,  and  to  g-ive  him  larger  claims 
upon  the  gratitude  of  his  government,  than  any  capitulation 
could  possibly  do." 


ARRIVAL    OF    REINF0RCKMENT8    UNDKR    GEN.    CLAY. 

At  about  12  o'clock  on  the  night  of  May  4,  Capt.  William 
Oliver,  skillfully  avoiding  the  Indians,  found  his  way  into  the 
fort  after  a  perilous  journey,  with  a  welcome  message  from  Gen. 
Green  Clay,  stating  that  he  was  on  his  way  down  the  river  with 
1,200  Kentuckians  in  flat  boats ;  he  could  reach  the  fort  in  two 
hours,  and  had  halted  to  await  orders.  Harrison  immediately 
dispatched  Capt.  Hamilton  with  orders  for  Gen.  Clay  to  detach 
800  men  from  his  brigade,  who  were  directed  to  land  on  the  left 
bank  of  the  river,  one  and  one  half  miles  above  the  fort  ^arch 
from  thence  to  the  British  batteries,  take  possession  of  c  r  can- 
non, spike  th(;m,  cut  down  their  carriages,  return  to  their  boats 
and  cross  over  to  the  American  fort."  Tiie  remainder  of  Clay's 
force  were  ordered  to  land  on  the  right  bank  and  fight  their  way 
to  the  fort,  while  sorties  were  to  be  made  from  the  garrison  to 
aid  them.  Capt.  Hamilton  proceeded  up  the  river  in  a  pirogue 
and  stationed  a  man  on  the  right  bank,  one  and  one  half  miles 
above  the  fort,  to  act  as  a  j)ilot  to  conduct  Gen.  Clay,  with  the 
last  mentioned  detachment,  into  the  entrenchments;  he  then 
crossed  over  and  stationed  his  pirogue  at  the  place  designated  for 
the  other  division  to  land. 

Plaving  received  his  instructions,  Gen.  Clay  moved  forward 
en  masse,  each  officer  taking  his  position  according  to  rank.  Col. 
Dudley,  being  senior  in  command,  led  the  van,  and,  with  the 
troops  occupying  the  first  twelve  boats,  landed  at  the  place  des- 
ignated without  difficulty,  (^en.  Clay,  with  the  remainder  of  his 
troops  (400),  commenced  disembarking  on  the  right  bank  opposite 
Dudley's  landing,  but  not  finding  the  guide  mentioned  to  him  by 
Capt.  Hamilton,  he  attempted  to  cross  over  to  join  Dudley;  tliis 
being  prevented  by  the  swift  current,  he  again  attempted  to  land 
upon  the  right  bank,  and  succeeded  in  doing  so  with  only  fifty  of 
hip  men,  amid  a  bi'isk  fire  from  the  enemy  on  shore,  and  made 
liis  way  to  the  fort.  The  other  boats,  under  command  of  Col. 
Boswell,  were  driven  farther  down  the  current,*  and  landed  on 


Historical  Sketch  of  Ft.  Meius. 


25 


the  left  bank  to  join  Dudley ;  they  were  ordered  back  however, 
and  recrossed  tlie  river  to  make  -inother  attempt  to  roach  the 
fort;  after  landing-,  the  Indians  attacked  tliem  but  retreated, 
and  the  troops  followed  them  up,  leaving  their  boats,  containing 
their  baggage  and  a  few  sick,  unprotected;  a  party  of  savages 
made  a  detour,  and  these  sick  men  were  tomahawlvcd  and  the 
baggage  pkmdered;  a  detachment  of  troops  under  Major  Ball 
came  to  the  rescue,  and  Boswell's  command  reached  the  fort  with 
small  loss. 

MASSACRE    OF    COL.    DUDLEY'S   TROOPS. 


In  the  meantime,  Col.  Dudley's  command  of  nearly  eight 
hundred  men,  carried  out  the  perilous  and  important  duty  as- 
signed them,  but  with  most  disastrous  results  to  themselves.  The 
following  thrilling  ])articulars  of  the  affair  are  compiled  from  the 
account  given  by  Lieut.  Joseph  II.  Underwood,  one  of  the  partic- 
ipants attached  to  a  company  of  Kentucky  volunteers  under 
Capt.  John  C.  Morrison's  command : 

''The  whole  number  of  troops  that  landed  amounted  proba- 
bly <-j  TOO  men.     We  were  formed  on  the  shore  in  three  parallel 
lines,  and  ordered  to  march  for  the  battery  at  right  angles  with 
the  river.     So  far  as   I  understand  the  plan  of  attack,  one  line 
was  to  form  the  line  of  battle  in  the  rear  of  the  battery  parallel 
with  the  river ;  the  other  two  lines  to  form  one  above  and  one 
below  the  battery,  at  right  angles  to  the  river.     The  lines  thus 
formed  advanced  as  silentl}^  as  possible,  the  object  being  to  sur- 
prise the  enemy.     Befoi-e  we  reached  the  battery,  hc^wever,  we 
v/ere  discovered  by  some  straggling  Indians,  wlio  fired  upon  us 
<and  then  retreated.     Our  men,  pleased  at  seeing  them  run,  and 
perceiving-  that  we  were   discovered,  no   longer  deemed  silence 
necessary,  and  raised  a  tremendous  shout.     This  was  the  first  in- 
timation  that  the  enemy  received  of  our  approach,  and  it  so 
alarmed  them  that  they  abandoned  the  battery  without  any  re- 
sistance, and  the  guns  wei-e  successfully  spiked.    Capt.  Morrison's 
company   was  formed  on   the  river's  bank  above    the    battery. 
While  jmssing  through  a  hazel  thicket  toward  the  ri-'er,  I  saw 
Col.  Dudley  for  the  last  time;  ho  railed  at  me  for  not  keeping 
my  men  in  better  line;  I  replied  that  it  was  impossible,  owing  to 
the  condition  of  the  ground  and  the  obstacles  in  the  way.     We 
halted  near  the  rit^er  bank;  some  of  the  enemy  had  got  into  our 


26 


Historical  Sketch  of  Ft.  Meigs. 


rear  and  were  firing  into  us,  and  our  company  hastened  to  join 
the  combatants  at  our  front;  falling  in  at  the  left  of  the  regi- 
ment, we  wei'e  soon  in  the  midst  of  the  conflict.  The  Indians  at- 
tem])ted  to  flank  us,  and  we  drove  them  over  a  mile  back  fiom 
the  river;  from  behind  trees  and  logs,  they  j*oured  a  most  des- 
tructive fire  into  us,  and  we  charged  upon  them  from  time  to 
time.  Capt,  Morrison  fell,  shot  through  the  temples,  the  ball 
cutting  the  optic  nerve  and  depriving  him  of  sight.  After  car- 
ing for  him  as  well  as  circumstances  would  allow,  I  assumed 
command  of  the  company. 

"  At  length  we  were  ordered  to  fail  back,  keeping  up  a  re- 
treating fire,  and  as  soon  as  this  was  done,  the  Indians  advanced 
with  savage  yells.  A  temporary  halt  was  twice  made,  but  our 
ranks  were  soon  in  confusion,  and  a  general  rout  occurred  ;  the 
retreating  army  gathered  about  the  battery  and  attempted  to  re- 
pel the  onslaught.  About  this  time,  I  received  a  ball  in  my  back 
and  was  made  prisoner,  and  informed  that  the  whole  army  had 
surrendered. 

"  On  our  Avay  to  the  garrison,  we  were  stripped  of  the  prin- 
cipal part  of  our  clothing  and  valuables.  As  we  neared  the  garri- 
son at  Ft.  Miami,  the  Indians  foi-med  a  line  to  the  left  of  the 
road,  there  being  a  perpendicular  bank  on  the  right,  near  where 
the  road  passed.  Here  we  were  obliged  to  run  the  gauntlet  into 
the  fort,  the  Indians  whipping,  shooting  and  tomahawking  their 
prisoners  as  they  passed.  By  running  as  closely  as  possible  to  tlie 
mu''.zles  of  their  guns,  I  escapeti  with  the  excejition  of  some  severe 
strokes  over  the  back  with  their  ramrods.  Nearly  forty  Ameri- 
cans Avere  killed  in  passing  the  line  of  savages.  As  I  entered  the 
ditch  surrounding  the  garrison,  the  man  in  front  of  me  was  shot 
and  I  fell  over  his  dead  body;  those  following  stumbled  over  us, 
and  the  })assageway  was  thus  blocked  for  a  few  moments.  After 
entering  the  fort,  the  horrible  tragedy  was  continued.  A  painted 
Indian  mounted  the  dilapidated  wall  and  shot  one  of  the  prison- 
ers nearest  him,  and  deliberately  loading,  shot  again,  the  second 
ball  giving  two  men  a  death  wound  ;  he  then  laid  down  his  gun^ 
and  drawing  his  tomahawk,  leaped  among  the  defenseless  prison- 
ers and  killed  two  others.  The  horror  of  the  moment  is  inde- 
scribable; the  excitement  among  the  Indians  was  increasing,  and 
a  wholesale  massacre  seemed  inevitable,  as  the  weak  protest  of 
the  British  officers  who  were  present,  was  entirely  unavailing.'* 


IIisTomcAL  Sketch  op  Ft.  Meigs. 


27 


A  British  account  of  this  terrible  occurrence  says :  "  The 
frenzy  of  these  wretches  knew  no  bounds,  and  an  old  veteran  of 
the  41st  was  shot  through  the  heart  while  endeavorint^  to  wrest 
a  victim  from  the  grasj)  of  his  murderer;  in  all,  forty  of  the  un- 
happy })risoners  were  killed  b}'  the  savages." 

The  manner  in  which  a  sudden  end  was  ]iut  to  the  tragic 
scene  is  thus  graphically  described  by  William  G.  Ewing,  in  a 
letter  to  John  11.  James,  Esq.,  of  IJrbana:  "While  this  blood- 
thirsty cai'nage  was  raging,  a  thundering  voice  was  heard  in  the 
rear,  in  the  Indian  tongue,  and  Tecumseh  [on  his  return  from  the 
battle  in  the  ravine  across  the  river]  was  seen  coming  with  all  the 
rapidity  his  horse  could  carry  him.  Draw-ng  near  to  where  two 
Indians  Avere  in  the  act  of  killing  one  of  the  prisoners,  he  sprang 
from  his  horse,  caught  one  by  the  throat  and  the  other  by  the 
breast  and  threw  them  to  the  ground;  drawing  his  tomahawk 
and  scalping  knife,  he  ran  in  between  the  Americans  and  Indians^ 
brandishing  them  with  the  fury  of  a  madman,  and  daring  any  of 
the  hundreds  who  surrounded  him  to  attempt  to  murder  another 
prisoner.  They  all  appeared  confused  and  immediately  desisted. 
His  mind  appeared  rent  with  passion,  and  he  exclanned,  almost 
with  tears  in  his  eyes,  'Oh,  what  will  become  of  my  Indians!' 
He  then  demanded,  in  an  authoritative  tone,  where  Proctor  waS^ 
and  nervously  casting  his  eyes  about  and  seeing  that  officer  at  a 
short  distance,  he  sternly  inquired  why  he  had  not  put  a  stop  ta 
the  inhuman  massacre.  '  Sir,'  said  Proctor,  '  your  Indians  cannot 
be  commanded.'  'Begone!'  retorted  Tecumseh,  in  the  greatest 
disdain  ;  'you  are  unfit  to  command  ;  go  and  put  on  petticoats.'  '*" 

Late  in  the  afternoon  the  prisoners  were  ])laced  in  open  boats, 
and  conveyed  to  the  British  ships,  nine  miles  down  the  river.  At 
the  end  of  six  days  they  were  all  discharged  on  }>arole.  The 
expedition  had  been  a  success,  as  far  as  spiking  the  British  guns 
was  concerned,  but  the  impetuous  gallantry  of  these  brave  Ken- 
tuckians  had  rendered  it  a  dearly  bought  one,  as  only  about  150 
of  the  800  escaped  ;  the  balance  wei-e  either  killed  or  captured, 
Coi.  Dudley  being  among  the  slain. 

After  Dudley  liad  spiked  the  batteries,  some  of  his  men 
loitered  on  the  bank  and  filled  the  air  with  cheers.  Harrison  and 
a  group  of  officers  who  were  anxiously  watching  them  from  the 
main  battery,  with  a  presentiment  of  the  sad  fate  which  awaited 
them,  earnestly  beckoned  them  to  return,  but  supposing  that  they 


^8 


Historical  Sketch  of  Ft.  Meigs. 


were  returning  thtM'r  clieers,  they  reiterated  their  shouts  of 
triurapli.  Harrison,  seeing  this,  exchiimed,  in  tones  of  anguish, 
"They  are  lost!  Can  I  never  teacii  my  men  the  necessity  of  a 
strict  obedience  to  orders  r'  lie  then  offered  a  thousand  (h)llars 
reward  to  any  man  who  wouUl  cross  tlie  river  and  apprise  them 
of  their  danger.  This  was  undertaken  by  an  officer,  but  uj)on  his 
arrival  on  the  shore,  and  before  he  coukl  launch  his  pirogue  and 
•reach  the  middle  of  the  river,  the  enemy  had  appeared  in  force 
from  below. 


capture  of  the  jjRrnsii  batteky  near  the  fort. 

Just  prior  to  the  time  that  these  tragic  events  were  occurring 
on  the  left  bank  of  the  river,  one  more  successful  was  transpiring 
on  the  opposite  side,  near  the  fort.  A  detachment  of  ti'oops 
imder  Col.  John  Miller,  of  the  10th  U.  S.  regiment,  consisting  of 
about  250  of  the  17th  and  19tu  regiments,  100  \-olunteers  and 
dapt.  Sebree's  company  of  Kentucky  militia  (total  850  men) 
left  the  fort  for  the  purpose  of  capturing  the  British  two-gun 
battery  that  had  been  stationed  about  400  yards  from  the  fort 
on  the  night  of  the  od.  The  troops  were  drawn  up  'n  the  small 
ravine  under  the  southeast  curtain  of  the  fort,  out  of  sight  of  the 
en'emy  and  out  of  reach  of  their  fire  ;  to  reach  the  baitery,  after 
passing  out  from  this  ravine,  it  was  necessary  to  ascend  the  hill 
to  the  right,  in  full  view  of  tlie  enemy,  and  pass  over  a  plam  of 
two  hundred  yards  in  width  into  the  woods,  whence  tliey  pur- 
posed making  a  slight  detour  and  come  onto  the  enemy  by  a 
flank  movement.  The  battery  was  protected  by  200  Bril.ish 
regulars,  two  companies  of  Canadian  militia  and  a  large  body  of 
Indians  under  Tecumseh.  After  passing  along  the  ranks,  en- 
couraging his  men,  Gen.  Harrison  took  a  position  upon  the 
battery  at  the  rear  right  angle  to  WMtness  the  contest.  The 
troops  advanced  with  their  loaded  arms  trailed,  and  as  they 
reached  the  summit  of  the  hill,  they  received  the  fire  cf  the 
British  infantry,  which  did  little  harm  ;  the  Indians  fired  from 
the  woods  with  more  deliberate  aim,  however,  and  did  greater 
execution.  After  the  American  troops  had  advanced  about  fifty 
yards  onto  the  plain,  tliey  halted,  closed  their  ranks  and  made  a 
determined  charge,  firing  as  they  advanced.  Many  of  the  enemy 
were  killed  and  the  balance  fled.  Gen.  Harrison,  who  had  been 
anxiously  watching  the  result,  at  this  juncture  dispatched  Major 


Historical  Sketch  of  Ft.  Meios. 


2» 


Todd  with  fifty  regulars  in  pursuit  of  tlie  foe,  and  they  soon  re- 
turned with  two  officers  and  forty-three  non-commissioned  ofiicers. 
and  privates  as  prisoners. 

RAISING    or   THE    SIEGE — BURIAL    OF   THE    DEAD  —  COMPLIMENTS    FROM 

GEN.    HARRISON. 

From  the  Oth  to  the  9th  there  was  no  firing.  Flags  of  truce 
passed  between  the  two  armies,  and  an  exchange  of  prisoners 
took  place.  On  the  morning  of  the  9th  (the  fourteenth  day  after 
the  cominenccMnent  of  iiostilities)  as  his  Indian  allies  were  threat- 
ening to  desert  him,  Proctor  raised  tlie  siege  and  retreated  with 
his  troops  in  all  ))ossil)lo  haste  to  Amherstburg.  After  their  de- 
parture, a  detachment  Avas  sent  out  to  scour  the  woods  and 
gather  up  the  dead.  The  bodies,  all  more  or  loss  mutilated,  were 
brought  in  great  niimbei'?,  to  the  fort  and  laid  out  before  one  of 
the  gates.  The  next  day  tliey  were  committed  to  earth  with 
military  honors;  all  the  cannon  were  fired  in  slow  succession, 
and  their  deep  reveberations  rolled  echoing  in  solemn  cadence 
along  the  valley.  The  bodies  of  about  forty-five  heroes  of  Dud- 
ley's command  .vere  recovered  and  buried  on  the  brow  of  the 
hill,  about  fifty  yards  northeast  of  the  east  angle  of  the  fort. 
Their  graves  still  remain  undisturbed,  covered  with  green  sod, 
and  a  dead  walnut  tree  is  the  oni}^  monument  which  marks  the 
sacrod  spot. 

The  most  autlientic  accounts  attainable  estimate  the  British 
force  under  Proctor,  during  the  siege,  at  2,560  men,  consisting  of 
560  regulars,  800  Canada  militia,  and  1.200  Indians.  Harrison's 
force  (including  the  troops  which  reached  the  fort  on  the  morn- 
ing of  the  5th  under  Gen.  (Jlay),  was  2,000,  about  100  of  whom 
were  unfit  for  <luty  at  the  opening  of  the  siege.  In  his  official 
report.  Gen.  Harrison  states  that  the  Indians  were  the  most 
efficient  force  of  the  enemy.  In  this  report  he  compliments  his 
whole  command  for  their  efficiency,  and  especially  mentions  the 
following,  on  account  of  their  meritorious  service :  Capt.  Wood, 
commanding  the  corps  of  engineers,  who  superintended  the  con- 
struction (»f  the  fortifications;  Maj.  Stoddard,  Capt.  Gratiot,  and 
Cai)t.  Gushing,  of  the  artillery  ;  Capt.  Hall,  Col.  Miller,  Maj.  Todd, 
Maj.  Sod  wick,  Maj.  llitzer,  Maj.  Johnson,  Adjt.  Brown,  Privates. 
Peters,  Lion  and  Timberlee,  Sergts.  Henderson,  Torames  and 
Meldrum;  Brig.-Gen.  Clay,  Col.  Boswell,  Maj.  Fleacher;  Capts. 


30 


Historical  Skktcii  of  Ft.  Meios. 


Dudley,  Simons,  Metlcalf  and  Sebree;  the  Pittsburi^  Blues,  led 
by  Lieut.  McGoe ;  the  Petersburn;  volunteers  and  Lieut.  Drum's 
detachment;  the  detachments  of  the  17th  and  19th  U.  S.  regi- 
ments, under  Cai)ts.  Cro(,^han,  Bradford,  Langliam,  Elliott  and 
Nering;  Lieuts.  Campbell,  Gwynn,  Lee,  Kercheval  and  Rees; 
Ensigns  Shep,  ILxwkins,  Harrison,  Mitchell  and  Stockton;  the 
members  of  his  staff;   Maj.    Hukill,   acting   Inspector    General, 

Majs.  Graham  and  J.  Johnson,  Lieut.  O' Fallon  and  deputy  quar- 
termaster Eubank.  The  General  adds,  referring  to  Dudley's 
•command  :  ''  It  rarely  occurs  that  a  general  has  to  complain  of 
the  excessive  ardor  of  his  men,  yet  such  appears  always  to  bo  the 
•case  whenever  the  Kentucky  militia  are  engaged ;  it  is,  indeed, 
the  source  of  all  their  misfortunes;  Dudley  unsuccessfully  at- 
tempted to  restrain  their  rash  ardor;  such  temerity  is  scarcely 
less  fatal,  although  not  so  disgraceful,  as  cowardice." 

Among  those,   also,    who  performed  distinguished  services 
■under  Harrison,  were  Peter  Navarre  and  h'^,  brothers,  Capt.  Win. 

Oliver,  Capt.  Leslie  Coombs,  Capt.  McCune  and  James  Doolan, 

who   were   employed   as  scouts.      Peter  Navarre   was  born  in 

Detroit  in  1796,  and  lived  near  the  shore  of  Maumee  Bay  until 

his  death. 

The  official  returns  of  the  killed  and  wounded  at  the  siege  of 

Ft.  Meigs,  and  the  several  sorties  of  May  5  (not  including  those 

killed  under  Dudley),  areas  follows:     Killed,  81;  wounded,  189; 

total,  2  70;  of  these,  17  were  killed  and  65  wounded  within  the 

fort'iication. 

^'i^mong  the  killed,  not  heretofore  mentioned,  was  Lieut.  Mc- 

■CuUouo-h,  who  was  shot  while  conversing  with  General  Harrison. 

His  remains  lie    buried   beside   those   of   Lieut.   Walker,  on  the 

parade  ground  of  the  fort. 

THE    SECOND    SIEGE   OF    PT.    MEIGS. 

After  the  raising  of  the  siege  at  Ft.  Meigs,  Gen.  Harrison 
repaired  the  damage  occasioned  by  the  enemy's  guns,  and  ma- 
terially strengthened  his  position.  Upon  his  recommendation 
the  plan  of  the  campaign  had  been  changed ;  vessels  were  being 
built  at  Erie  and  Cleveland,  and  until  these  were  ready  it  was 
determined  to  act  upon  the  defensive.  May  12th  he  departed  for 
the  interior  to  push  the  recruiting  service  and  prepare  for  the 
approaching  campaign,  leaving  Gen.  Green  Clay  in  command  of 


Historical  Skftiii  of  Ft.  Meios. 


81 


the  fort.  July  20,  the  enemy  was  discovered  ascending  the 
river,  and  a  party  of  ten  men  were  surprised  by  the  [lulians,  only 
three  escaping  death  or  capture.  Tiie  nunibei*  of  troops  with 
which  Gen.  Proctor  had  returned  to  subjugate  the  little  garrison 
at  Ft.  Meigs  was  estimated  at  5,000,  including  the  largest  baud 
of  Indians  under  Tecumstjh  that  had  ever  assembled  together 
during  the  war. 

The  night  of  their  arrival,  Gen.  Clay  dispatched  Capt. 
McCune,  of  the  Ohio  militia,  to  Gen.  Harrison,  at  Lower  San- 
dusky, to  notify  him  of  the  ])resence  of  the  enemy.  After  deliv- 
ering liis  message,  Capt.  McCune  was  ordered  to  return  to  the 
fort  and  instruct  Gen.  Clay  to  guard  carefully  against  surprise, 
and  he  would  have  reinforcements  there  as  soon  as  possible. 
Gen.  Harrison  also  sent  an  order  to  Gen.  McArthur  to  come  with 
as  many  troops  as  he  could  muster,  saying  that  the  force  at  Ft. 
Meigs  was  too  weak  for  anything  but  defensive  operations,  un- 
less promptly  reinforced. 

Capt.  McCune  was  sent  out  the  second  time  with  informa- 
tion to  Gen.  Harrison  that  a  body  of  Indians  were  passing  up 
the  Maumee  to  attack  Ft.  Winchester  (Defiance).  The  General, 
however,  believed  this  movement  of  the  enemy  to  be  a  ruse  to 
cover  their  designs  upon  Upper  and  Lower  Sandusky  and  Cleve- 
land, and,  after  sending  out  a  reconnoitering  party  to  watch,  he 
sent  Capt.  McCune  back  to  the  fort  to  report.  The  latter  was 
accom])anied  on  his  return  b}'-  James  Doolan,  a  celebrated  French 
Canadian  scout ;  on  arriving  near  the  fct,  about  daybreak,  they 
encountered  the  Indians  and  met  with  seme  exciting  adventures 
and  hair-breadth  escapes  before  finally  arriving  safely  within  the 
enclosure;  by  listening  they  had  obtained  souie  valuable  in- 
formation regarding  Tecumseh's  plans,  which  proved  of  great 
value  to  the  garrison. 

On  the  evening  of  July  26,  the  British  infantry  secreted 
themselves  in  the  ravine  below  the  fort,  the  cavalry  were  in  the 
adjacent  woods,  and  the  Indians  were  stationed  in  the  forest 
near  the  Lower  Sandusky  road,  about  half  a  mile  southeast  from 
the  fort.  About  dark  they  commenced  a  sham  battle  among 
themselves  to  deceive  the  Americans  into  the  belief  that  a  des- 
perate conflict  was  transpiring  between  them  and  the  expected 
reinforcements,  in  the  hopes  of  enticing  the  garrison  to  the  aid  of 
their  comrades ;  if  the  ruse  proved  successful,  the  British  infantry 


82 


Historical  Sketch  of  Ft.  Meios. 


and  cavalry  were  to  make  a  dasli  fnjin  tlioir  concoaliiiont  on  the 
left,  thus  cuttinn-  tiiem  off  from  retreat  and  capturin<^"  the  fort. 
It  was  a  cunning  stratagem,  and,  had  it  not  been  met  with  equal 
cunning,  the  result  of  tiie  war  m  the  Northwest  would  probably 
have  been  different. 

At  the  llrst  sound  of  the  supposed  conflict,  the  garrison  ffew 
to  arms;  (Jen.  Clay  ordered  them  to  keep  a  keen  watch,  awaiting 
dcvelo})ments,  but  not  to  leave  the  fort.  As  the  roar  of  musketry, 
mingled  with  the  piercing  savage  yells  increased,  the  troops  in- 
sisted on  being  allowed  to  hasten  to  the  rescu(^;  it  seemed  totliem 
that  the  lives  of  their  beloved  commander  Harrison  and  their  brave 
comrades  were  being  sacrificed,  while  tliey  stood  idly  by  without 
raising  a  helping  hand.  It  was  a  trying  moment;  Gen.  Clay's 
explanation  of  the  affair  did  not  half  satisfy  them  ;  some  of  the 
officers  sided  in  opinion  with  the  troo[)s,  and  it  was  only  their 
3onfidence  in  the  courage  and  good  judgment  of  Gen.  Clay  that 
prevented  open  insubordination  and  their  destruction. 

After  keeping  up  a  brisk  tiring  and  yelling  for  about  half  an 
hour,  a  shower  of  rain  commenced  falling  and  the  firing  gradually 
ceased.  Before  this,  however,  from  the  fact  that  no  American 
troops  could  be  seen  endeavoring  to  reach  the  foi't,  the  garrison 
were  fully  convinced  of  the  deception.  Finding  their  cunning 
ruse  a  failure,  and  fearing  the  arrival  of  large  reinforcements,  the 
enemy  remained  about  the  fort  but  one  day  longer,  and  on  July 
28  embarked,  with  their  stores,  down  the  lake.  Thus  closed  the 
second  siege  of  Ft.  Meigs,  triumphantly  to  the  American  arms, 

IMPORTANT    EVENTS    SDBSPJQUENl    TO   THE    SIEGE    OF    FT.    MEIGS. 


Having  raised  the  siege  of  Ft.  Meigs^  the  British  sailed 
around  into  Sandusky  bay,  while  a  large  force  of  their  Indian 
allies  marched  overland  to  co  operate  with  them  in  an  attack  on 
Lower  Sandusky,  anticipating  that  the  attention  of  the  American 
troops  would  be  directed  toward  Ft.  Meigs  and  Defiance.  Harri- 
son had  taken  the  precaution,  however,  of  keeping  patrols  down 
the  bay  near  the  mouth  of  the  Portage,  who  informed  him  of  the 
enemy's  arrival.  On  the  29th  he  received  intelligence  from  Gen. 
Clay  of  what  had  transpired,  and  immediately  called  a  council  of 
war  with  McArthur,  Cass,  Ball,  Paul,  Wood,  Ilukill,  Holmes  and 
Graham,  who  decided  that,  as  Ft.  Stephenson  at  Lower  Sandusky 


(IrsTouit'Ai,  SivKTcrf  OP  Ft.  NfKKJs, 


n:i 


Was  a  comparatively  uninij)ortant  point,  and  tliat  the  defenses 
were  too  small  to  accomuKxIate  a  garrison  of  over  200  troops, 
they  would  not  reinforce  the  place,  but  destroy  it  and  withdraw 
Major  Croghan  and  iiis  little  baiul  wiio  were  stationed  there.  An 
order  to  this  effect  was  sent  to  the  latter;  before  it  reached  him, 
however,  the  country  was  infestetl  with  the  savages,  and  the 
determination  was  made  to  hold  the  fort  or  die.  The  Uritish 
troo])s  were  landed  soon  afterward ;  a  demand  lo  surrender  was 
refused  and  the  subsecpient  successful  defense  of  Ft.  Stephenson 
was  one  of  the  most  gallant  and  heroic  in  the  history  of  the  nation. 
Speaking  of  Maj.  Croghan,  in  his  official  report  of  the  affair, 
Gen.  Harrison  said  :  ''  It  will  not  be  among  the  least  of  Gen. 
Proctor's  mortifications,  that  he  has  been  liaffied  by  a  youth  who 
has  just  passed  his  twenty-first  year,  lie  is  a  hero  wortliy  of  his 
gallant  uncle.  Gen.  Geo.  K.  Clarke."  Maj.  Croghan  was  brevetted 
Lieutenant-Colonel  by  the  President  for  his  gallantry. 

The  defense  of  Ft.  Stephenson,  which  occurred  Aug.  2,  1813, 
was  followed,  on  Sept.  10,  by  (!ommodore  Perry's  victory  at  Put- 
in-Bay— one  of  the  most  brilliant  naval  affairs  in  the  history  of 
any  nation. 

This  victory  removed  the  principal  barrier  to  the  commence- 
ment of  active  operations  toward  the  recovery  of  the  Michigan 
territory,  and  immediate  steps  were  taken  for  an  advance  to  Mai- 
den, and  the  troops  (nearly  7,000)  rendezvoused  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Portage.  Sept.  17,  Gov.  Shelby  arrived  there  with  4,000 
Kentuckians;  Gen.  Cass,  with  his  brigade,  c^'me  to  Upper  San- 
dusky ;  Col.  Hill  came  with  a  regiment  of  Pennsylvania  volun- 
teers from  Erie  ;  on  Sept.  20,  Gen.  McArthur  came  with  his 
brigade  from  Ft.  Meigs,  leaving  Col.  Johnson's  mounted  regiment 
there  as  a  garrison,  with  orders  tosubse([uently  march  to  Detroit 
by  land.  The  troops  were  conveyed  to  J*ut-in-Pay  ui  boats;  on 
Sept.  25  they  re-embarked  for  the  Canadian  shore,  and  on  the 
27th  entered  Maiden,  without  encountering  either  British  troops 
or  Indians,  who  had  retreated  ;  the  enemy  continued  their  retreat 
from  before  Detroit,  and  on  the  29th,  the  victorious  Americans 
marched  into  that  town  ;  or  the  30th,  Col.  Johnson's  mounted  rifle 
regiment  arrived  from  Ft.  Meigs.  Oct.  2,  the  Americans  com- 
menced their  pursuit  of  Proctor,  whom  they  overtook  and 
defeated  in  the  battle  of  the  Thames,  Oct.  5,  which  practically 
closed  the  war  in  the  northwest. 


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DESCRIPTIVE. 


PRESENT  OUTLOOK  FROM  THE  OLD  FORT,  AND  ITS  GENERAL  APPEARANOB. 


^l^T.  Meigs  occupies  a  level  plateau,  located  on  the  southeast 
c^^  bank  of  the  Maumee,  sixty  feet  above  the  water,  about  one- 
•■^(y'  half  mile  above  Perrysburg,  Standing  on  its  breezy  height, 
the  vision  extends  for  a  range  of  over  twenty  miles  up  and  down 
the  valley.  The  location  was  no  doubt  originally  selected  as  a 
site  for  the  fort  on  account  of  its  expansive  outlook,  as  well  as  its 
strong  natural  defenses,  for  certainly  there  is  no  spot  in  the  State, 
or  in  the  territory  for  many  miles  west  and  northwest,  that  will 
favorably  compare  with  it  as  a  point  of  extensive  observation  and 
scenic  beauty.  From  above  for  many  miles  the  silvery  waters  are 
seen,  sparkling  and  flashing  in  their  rapid  flow  over  their  rocky 
bed,  winding  among  the  pretty  green  islands  and  past  the  rich 
bottom  lands,  covered  with  ripening  grain. 

At  the  foot  of  the  fort  the  rapids  end,  and  the  head  of 
steam  navigation  commences.  The  river  continues  its  winding 
way  among  the  islands  and  bottom  lands,  but  widens  perceptibly 
after  leaving  the  fort.  The  banks  are  lined  with  groups  of  native 
forest  trees,  thrifty  orchards  and  vineyards  and  pretty  residences. 
Ten  miles  below,  over  a  low-lying  headland,  the  church  spires  and 
many  of  the  lofty  buildings  in  the  growing  city  of  Toledo,  come 
into  view. 

As  one  stands  upon  the  old  fort  and  drinks  in  this  beautiful 
vision,  he  is  overcome  with  sympathizing  pity  for  the  savage 
natives  who  named  the  river  the  'Mother  of  "Waters,"  and  to 


\< 


36 


Historical  Sketch  of  Ft.  Meios. 


Avhom  it  was  so  fondly  endeared  that  many  brave  lives  were 
sacrificed  in  strugglin^^  to  retain  it  from  the  grasp  of  the  white 

man. 

Tlie  outlook  from  Ft.  Meigs  embraces  many  miles  in  extent, 
and  every  foot  of  tlie  soil  within  range  of  the  vision  has  been 
nade  sacred  by  deeds  of  heroism  in  the  history  of  the  country.  A 
broad  ravine,  leading  from  tlie  fort  on  the  right,  affords  a  glimpse 
of  the  pretty  town  of  Perrysburg,  half  hidden  by  the  luxuriant 
trees  which  line  its  broad  avenues,  and  on  the  brow  of  a  small 
arm  of  the  ravine  are  still  to  be  seen  the  outlines  of  a  British  bat- 
tery which  'I'd  terrible  execution  dui-ing  the  siege,  and  was  gal- 
lantly captured.  In  the  foreground,  a  few  rods  from  the  fort,  on 
a  o-reen  hill-top,  is  the  burial  s[)(jt  of  forty- liv^e  of  Dudley's  brave 
command,  whose  graves  have  never  been  disturbed.  To  the  left 
of  this  ravine,  leading  toward  the  rivei",  twenty  rods  from  the  fort, 
is  an  elevated,  narrow  point  known  as  '"  Indian  Hill,  "where  Gen. 
Harrison  located  an  advance  picket  guard ;  it  was  the  site  of  an 
extensive  Indian  cemetery,  which  fact  gave  it  its  name. 

One  mile  down  the  river  on  the  opposite  side,  is  the  village 
of  Miami — the  site  of  Ft.  Miami,  occupied  b}--  the  British  General 
Proctor  during  the  siege.  Across  the  river,  opposite  Ft.  Meigs, 
is  the  town  of  Maumee,  famous  in  historic  lore;  occupying  a 
prominent  position  on  a  bluff  bank,  in  the  lower  part  of  town, 
were  located  the  British  mortar  batteries  during  the  unpleasant- 
ness, and  the  outlines  are  still  distinctly  visible ;  on  the  site  of  the 
Presbyterian  and  M.  E.  Churches  were  planted  the  main  British 
gun  batteries  which  did  such  terrible  execution,  and  were  captur- 
ed by  Col.  Dudley's  gallant  command.  About  two  miiCS  above 
Maumee  is  Presque  Isle  Hill,  the  scene  of  the  "  Battle  of  Fallen 
Timbers." 

PRESENT  APPEARANCE  OF  FT.  MEIGS. 


Many  of  the  heroes  wuo  defended  Ft.  Meigs  in  1813,  have 
visited  the  spot  in  late  years,  and  have  expressed  their  surprise 
that  the  original  contour  oi  the  fort  has  been  so  well  preserved. 
This  is  accounted  for  by  the  fact  that  a  luxuriant  and  tenacious 
sod  has  preserved  the  embankments  from  the  effect  of  storm  and 
rain,  and  the  proprietor  of  the  domain  and  the  patriotic  citizens 


Historical  Sketch  op  Ft.  Mekks. 


87 


of  the  coraraunity  have  prevented  the  sacred   soil   fro:n    being 
disturbed. 

The  fort  proper  covers  a  space  of  about  fourteen  acres.  As 
one  stands  upon  the  ground,  the  most  prominent  feature  is  the 
grand  traverse,  extending  nearly  p;irallel  with  the  river,  from  the 
northeast  extremity  of  tlie  fort,  a  distance  of  1,100  feet,  to  the 
main  entrenchments  at  the  opposite  point.  It  was  originally 
built  20  feet  wide  and  12  feet  high  ;  it  has  since  settled  about  3 
feet,  but  otherwise  still  retains  its  original  shape  and  proportions, 
and  is  covered  with  green  sod.  This  nuge  embankment  was  built 
as  a  place  of  retreat,  in  the  event  of  any  of  the  outer  works  being 
taken  by  storm,  and  shorter  traverses  were  also  erected  at  right 
angles  with  it  from  the  brow  of  tiie  hill  and  the  opposite  side, 
extending  southward,  as  a  protection  from  a  flank  movement  of 
the  enemy.  Five  openings  are  to  be  seen  in  the  grand  traverse 
(four  of  tliem  about  twelve  feet  in  width),  which  were  originally 
covered  with  massive  timber  gates,  through  which  the  troops  and 
the  artillery  passed ;  the  one  nearest  the  northeast  end  was  larger 
than  the  others,  having  double  gates  opening  directly  onto  the 
military  road  leading  from  the  fort  to  Lower  Sandusky  (now 
Fremont)^ 

Outside  of  the  grand  traverse  toward  the  river  bank,  about 
five  rods  distant  from  this  double  gateway,  the  well  which  sup- 
plied the  garrison  with  water  was  located.  It  has  long  since  been 
almost  entirely  filled  up,  still,  however,  leaving  a  deep  depression. 
The  spot  is  marked  by  a  white  oak  post  extending  about  eight 
feet  out  of  the  ground.  This  is  the  end  of  a  stick  of  timber  sixty 
feet  long,  brought  from  Swanton  two  weeks  prior  to  the  great 
celebraticm  of  1840,  as  a  contribution  from  the  patriotic  citizens 
of  that  community  toward  the  erection  of  a  log  cabin  on  the  fort 
in  honor  of  the  hero  of  the  hour,  Gen.  Harrison,  who  was  then 
the  Whig  candidate  for  President.  During  the  night  after  its 
arrival,  some  mischievous  young  men  of  Democratic  prochvities 
in  the  neighborhood  upended  the  stick  and  dropped  it  to  the  bot- 
tom of  the  well,  defiantly  planting  a  hickory  bush  in  the  top  of 
it;  there  the  timber  has  since  remained. 

At  the  east  angle  of  the  fort  (fronting  the  large  ravine 
where  the  British  three-gun  battery  was  planted),  and  extending 
along  the  north  line  of  the  fort,  bordering  the  brow  of  the  hill 


38 


Historical  Sketch  of  Ft.  Meios. 


facing  the  Britis:h  batteries  across  the  river,  the  most  formidable 
earthworks  were  constructed,  and  the  solid  ramparts  with  their 
bastions,  curtairis,  etc.,  are  well  preserved,  although  settled 
materially  from  their  original  proportions.  The  outlines  of  the 
blockho'ises  and  battery  parapets  can  be  traced  very  readily. 

A  line  of  heavy  timber  stockades  originally  extended  around 
the  entire  encampment;  on  the  north  and  east  line,  where  the 
heaviest  earth wcks  were  erected,  this  stockade  was  placed  just 
below  the  brow  of  the  hill,  and  the  tops  of  the  pickets  projected 
outward  at  an  angle  of  about  forty-five  degrees,  in  the  shape  of  a 
cheval  de-f rise.  For  some  distance  along  the  brow  of  the  bank, 
to  the  right  of  the  west  angle  of  the  fort,  there  was  a  double 
•ow  of  these  pickets,  and  the  double  row  also  continued  from  1.1)  is 
point  to  the  left  until  it  joined  the  heavy  earthworks  to  the  right 
of  the  east  angle,  where  the  single  row  again  commenced.  Out- 
side and  close  to  the  foot  of  the  stockade  on  the  brow  of  the  hill, 
800  sycamore  barrels,  sections  of  hollow  sycamore  trees,  cut  in 
lengths  of  five  or  six  feet  and  filled  with  gravel  and  sand,  were 
held  to  their  places  by  ropes  from  inside.  Tlie  intention  was  to 
cut  these  loose  to  be  hurled  down  the  steep  bluff  in  the  event  of 
a  storming  party  attempting  to  ,ake  the  fort  by  assiiult.  There 
were  three  outer  gates  to  this  stockade,  for  the  passage  of  troops 
jind  teams — one,  at  a  roadway  leading  down  to  the  river  from 
about  the  center  of  the  line  running  along  the  brow  of  the  hill, 
through  which  the  garrison  was,  for  a  time,  supplied  with  water; 
one,  to  the  right  of  the  south  angle  of  the  fort,  where  the  forges 
and  repair  shops  were  located  ;  one,  to  the  right  of  the  east  angle, 
on  the  military  road  leading  to  Lower  Sandusky.  The  line  of 
these  stockades  can  be  followed,  in  many  places,  distinctly  by  the 
depressions  in  the  ground  caused  by  their  decay  ;  time,  however, 
has  destroyed  every  vestige  of  the  stockade  itself,  excepting  the 
decayed  stumps  under  the  surface. 

At  the  southwest  extremity  of  the  fort  was  the  main  defense, 
cimstructed  after  the  outer  ramparts  had  all  been  completed 
(probably  between  the  first  and  second  sieges).  After  it  was 
finished,  the  officers'  quarters,  store-houses  and  magazine  were 
moved  into  it  from  the  opposite  end  of  the  fort.  The  first-  and 
second  locations  of  the  magazines  are  marked  by  mounds,  each 
jibout  three  feet  high  and  twenty  feet  in  diameter,    The  well 


UrstouicAL  Sketch  ov  Ft.  Meium. 


3i* 


defined  outlines  of  this  main  defense  are  portrayed  in  the  accom- 
panying illustrations.  It  was  in  the  shape  of  a  parallelogram, 
the  east  and  west  lines  being  230  and  the  north  and  south  lines 
190  feet  in  length,  measuri^.g  from  the  outer  corners.  At  each 
angle  there  were  strong  blockhouses  which  were  connected 
together  from  their  inner  corners  by  a  stout  timber  palisade. 
Outside  of  the  pickets  and  around  the  blockhouses  was  a  glacis 
or  wall  of  earth  about  eight  feet  thick,  sloping  outward  from  the 
feet  of  the  pickets,  covered  with  heavv  facines,  extending:  to  a 
ditch,  originally  about  fifteen  feet  wide  and  eight  feet  deep. 
Near  the  blockhouse  at  the  north  angle  of  this  stronghold,  on 
the  brow  of  the  hill,  was  the  main  battery,  where  Harrison  stood 
watching  the  movements  of  Dudley's  men  over  the  river. 

On  the  parade  ground,  about  midway  between  the  grand 
traverse  and  the  outer  extremity  of  the  fort  at  the  brow  of  the 
hill,  is  the  ofiicers'  burial  ground.  Lieut.  "Walker's  grave  was 
surrounded  by  a  neat  picket  fence  and  marked  by  a  headstone, 
erected  to  his  memory  by  his  friends ;  these,  however,  have  long 
since  disappeared,  the  latter  having  been  carried  off  piece-meal 
b}'^  relic-hunters.  The  small  tract  in  the  south  part  of  the  fort, 
dedicated  principally  as  a  burial  place  for  the  "Pittsburg  Blues," 
has  been  staked  off  and  never  disturbed.  The  field  on  the  river's 
bank,  southwest  of  the  fort — the  burial  ground  of  the  garrison — 
is  still  enveloped  by  the  green  sod  which  first  covered  it. 

When  the  fort  was  built  the  timber  was  cut  down  on  every 
side  for  a  quarter  of  a  mile  or  more,  in  order  to  prevent  surprise 
from  the  Indians,  and  also  to  give  unobstructed  range  to  the  can- 
non which  defended  the  fort.  The  large,  handsome  trees  in  the 
pretty  ravine  east  of  the  fort  have  all  grown  up  since  the  date 
of  the  siege. 

Immediately  after  the  close  of  the  war,  the  town  of  Orleans 
of  the  North  (located  on  the  bottom  lands,  between  Ft.  Meigs 
and  the  river)  became  quite  an  important  frontier  point;  the  town 
of  Perrysburg  was  laid  out  by  the  government,  however,  on  the 
elevated  banks  below,  in  1816,  and  the  once  pretentious  village 
of  Orleans  became  a  thing  of  the  past ;  it  is  now  known  only  in 
history,  with  nothing  to  mark  the  spot  where  it  once  existed. 
The  fort  was  then  garrisoned  by  forty  soldiers  under  a  lieuten- 
ant ;  they  were  withdrawn  in  May,  1815,  and  the  four  heavy  can- 


40 


ttfStOkiCAf,    ^kUTCII    0(.'    I^^T.     h/\kt(iH. 


non  whicli  were  there,  and  the  military  stores,  were  taken  to 
Detroit  by  Capt.  Jacob  Wiikison,  in  the  schooner  J31ack  Snake. 
Since  that  time.  Ft.  Meigs  i)as  been  left  to  the  sole  care  of  those 
who  own(!d  tiie  estate  upon  which  it  is  located. 

KKUNION  OF  VKTKJiANS  OF  TJIK  WAK  OF  1812  AT  FT.  MEIGS. 


Tn  Juile,  1870,  there  was  an  excursion  of  veterans  of  the  war 
of  1812  to  Ft.  Meigs,  and  (juite  a  number  were  in  attendance. 
The  reception  given  them  by  the  citizens  oi  Perrysburg  was  gov- 
erned by  the  most  unbounded  hospitality  and  reverence  for  the 
old  heroes,  many  of  whom  were  then  in  the  neighborhood  of  SO 
years  of  age.  At  the  head  of  tiie  column  which  mai'ched  to  the 
fort  was  borne  an  old  flag  which  had  waved  over  the  battle- 
ments during  the  sie<^e.  It  was  torn  and  stained  with  the  smoke 
of  battle,  and  on  its  lower  border  was  inscribed  in  gilt  letters,  "2d 
Com'd,  1st  Squad,  Jid  Brigade,  1st  Div.,  ().  Militia."  It  was 
owned  by  David  McChesney,  of  Warren  County,  O.,  and  was  in 
charge  of  his  father-in-law.  Col.  Irvine,  during  the  war.  Forty- 
four  of  the  old  heroes  were  present  upon  this  interesting  occasion, 
among  whom  were  the  following:  Gen.  J^eslie  Coombs,  one  of 
Dudley's  i  len  who  successfully  ran  the  gauntlet;  l^eter  Navarre, 
Harrison's  celebrated  jjcout ;  Col.  Chas.  S.  Todd,  Harrison's  aid- 
de-cara|),  and  others  more  or  less  distinguished. 

From  these  veterans,  at  the  time  of  their  reunion  on  the  old 
fort,  was  obtained  much  of  the  information  contained  in  the 
foregoing  description.  Unfortunat<}ly  the  only  plan  of  Ft.  Meigs 
on  file  in  the  War  Department  at  Washington  is  a  sketch  made 
by  Joseph  II.  Larwell,  July  19,  1813  (the  day  prior  to  the  open- 
ing of  the  second  siege),  which  is  manifestly,  in  part,  incorrect, 
although  reproduced  and  adopted  by  Lossing  in  his  "Field  Book 
of  the  War  of  1812-15,"  by  Henry  Howe,  in  his  Ohio  Historical 
Collections,  and  by  II.  S.  Knapp,  in  his  history  of  the  Maumee 
Valley.  The  accompanying  diagram  is  drawn  from  descriptions 
given  by  old  soldiers  under  Harrison,  who  participated  in  the 
siege,  and  from  an  inspecticm  of  the  outlines,  as  they  still  exist. 

An  earnest  and  well  directed  effort  is  being  made  by  the 
people  of  Northwestern  Ohio,  and  by  prominent  citizens  in  every 
portion  of    the  State,  to  locate  u[)on  the  site  of  the  old  fort,  a 


IIlSTORICAIi    "'ketch    OK    Ft.    MkI(J8. 


41 


Soldiers'  Memorial  Tlome.  The  location,  considered  with  a  view 
of  its  hyfj^ienic  ;.ind  other  practical  (lualilications,  is  eminently 
fitted  for  the  purpose,  and  sncii  a  moniiinent  would  be  tiie  most 
ap[)ropriate  that  could  be  erected  to  ))erpetuate  the  (l(;eds  of  valor 
here  enacted,  and  permanently  preserve  from  spoliation  the  beau- 
tiful and  sacred  spot  where  our  fathers  won  tlieir  laurels.  In 
this,  Ohio  will  be  warndy  joined  by  the  substantial  sympathy  of 
the  patriotic  citizens  of  lier  sister  States — particularly  those  of 
Kentucky,  Virginia  and  Pennsylvania,  whose  noble  sons  lie 
buried  there,  side  by  side  with  their  Ohio  comrades,  in  unmarked 
graves. 


ill 


"^>^rt 


THE  FORT  MEIGS  MEMORIAL  HOME. 


HY    Krl'lllNF,   (".   TOMI'KINS. 


As  we  sit  ..11  tlio  iM.ieiald  cariict.  uikUt  tlio  whispering  trees, 
And  Kaze  <!owii  tlu  l.eautiful  river,  kissecl  by  the  lightsome  breeze. 
Over  th.'  sra.ssy  iiu'iidows,  the  wheat  fields  yellow  and  ripe, 
MellowiiiK  in  the  distiiiiee  to  u  Rreeii  and  golden  stripe, 
The  scene  is  a  summer  picture  and  I  open  iny  history  boolc, 
And  the  friend  beside  me  answers,  as  adown  the  page  I  look  : 

•Yes,  this  is  the  place  where  Harrison  with  his  little  band  of  men, 
Stood  fire  from  belching  British  guns  and  hurled  it  back  again. 
And  Procter  had  his  red  coats  there,  drawn  up  in  fierce  array, 
.And  bold  Tecnniseh's  savages  were  allies  in  the  fray  ; 
Red-handed  from  the  vine-hung  banks  of  Raisin's  bloody  tide. 
They  thirsted  for  more  massacre,  and  watched  on  every  side 
From  thicket-brush,  from  tops  of  trees,  to  hurl  the  murderous  shot- 
And  still  the  stubborn  fortress  stood-  the  patriots  faltered  not. 

"  'Surrender !'  came  the  haughty  word ;  swift  flew  the  answer  back, 

'  If  you  capture  us.  Sir  Briton,  the  victory  shall  not  lack 

The  honor  of  a  meeting,  face  to  face,  and  hilt  to  hilt. 

With  your  men  upon  the  ramparts  and  many  a  heart's  blood  spilt.' 

"  Three  days  without  cessation,  the  sweet  May  air  was  rife 
With  thunder  of  the  cannon  and  moans  of  parting  life. 
Then  floating  down  the  river  came  staunch  Kentucky  men. 
Twelve  hundred  strong— on  flat  boats-and  hope  grew  strong  again, 
And  where  the  bees  are  humming  in  clover  wdiite  and  sweet 
There  gallant  Clay  made  landing  with  his  walcomc  southern  fleet. 
And  oh !  what  fire  raked  them  from  the  mad  Miami  guns. 
And  oh !  with  what  defiance  marched  up  those  fearless  ones. 


Historical  Sketch  of  Ft.   Hmos. 


43 


'Aiul  there  swept  Colonel  Dudley  with  his  dauntless,  tlRhtiuK  l.iuid, 
Keen-eyed  and  lion-hearted  to  answer  tl."  eonimiind 
'  CliurKe,  Itayonets  I'  ()  river,  ninrninrinn  lo  the  flowery  shore  ; 
Can  you  tell  us  just  how  many  smote  the  dust  to  rise  no  more'.' 
Hut  the  foenuxn  lied  in  terror,  and  the  ])atriots  on  their  track 
Th>is  were  led  into  an  ambush,  whence  there  was  no  tnrniiiK  hack. 

"Fatal  error!  (luick  surrounded,  there  they  yielded  ui>  tlieir  lives. 

Cleft  ))y  savage  liattle-axes  and  the  whetted  scalping  knives. 

"  'Stay  the  slaughter  I'  cried  Teciunseh,  rushing  on  the  dreadful  scene 

(For  that  order  lay  one  laurel  on  his  dust,  and  keep  it  green). 

Down  the  southern  bank.  Clay's  soldiers  charged  the  worsted  foe  again, 

Spiked  tlu'ir  guns  and  took  their  batteries,  and  made  captives  of  their  men. 

Nine  long  days  ere  stubljorn  Proctor  owned  the  whipi)ing  ho  had  got. 

Moved  his  camp  and  nuirdied  his  soldiers  to  a  safe  and  sheltered  spot. 

"  What  was  gained  ?    Forever  after  that  decisive  victory. 

Fear  of  tlie  revengeful  savage  faded  from  the  old  Mauniec, 

They  had  turned  the  name  to  terror  all  along  the  wooded  shore ; 

Day  and  night  the  vigil  ceased  not— loaded  rifle— guarded  door. 

Day  and  night  the  wild  cry  sounded,  homes  fell  to  a  smoldering  heap. 

Wives  were  widowed,  men  were  tortured,  children  murdered  in  their  sleep 

"Now  the  heavy  cloud  was  lifted,  and  the  wary  savage  foe 
Shrank  away  from  English  friendship  that  but  added  to  their  woe. 
Then  there  dawned  for  fair  Miami  first  rays  of  the  coming  morn. 
And  the  poor  man's  stumpy  acres  blossomed  into  fields  of  corn." 


Thus  ended  my  history  lesson,  and  everj'  pulse  was  stirred 

I5y  the  beautiful  scene  before  me  and  what  I  had  read  and  heard. 

And  there  on  the  blood-rich  soil  by  the  storied  river-flow 

Let  us  rear  a  memory  token  for  seventy  years  ago. 

O,  wise  Ohio  statesmen !  could  ye  do  a  fitter  deed 

Than  build  in  strength  and  beauty  for  days  of  age  and  need 

A  rest  for  homeless  soldiers  who  on  the  land  and  wave 

Made  offer  of  their  own  lives  their  country's  life  to  save? 

A  monument  of  meaning  from  base  to  crowning  dome, 

And  be  its  name  recorded— "Fokt  MKKis  Memorial  Home." 


